5-HT7 receptors: current knowledge and future prospects.

Identification of three splice variants of the 5-HT7 receptor suggests a possible diversity in 5-HT7 receptor action. Indeed, 5-HT7 receptors have been implicated in the pathophysiology of several disorders; they play a role in smooth muscle relaxation within the vasculature and in the gastrointestinal tract. However, most of these assignments are derived from receptor localization studies and investigations using nonselective ligands, and are therefore mainly suggestive. The development of selective 5-HT7 receptor antagonists will be of utmost importance in determining the actual physiological and pharmacological roles of this receptor. Major challenges of 5-HT7 receptor research are determination of the transcriptional regulation of the gene encoding the 5-HT7 receptor and elucidation of the differences in regulation and signalling of its four gene products.