Preparation of a dansylated fibrate, a new fluorescent tool to study peroxisome proliferation. Effect on hepatic-derived cell lines.

The synthesis of a dansylated fibrate (DNS-X) has been performed in order to identify the cellular affinity sites of peroxisome proliferators and to establish the subcellular localization of such molecules. DNS-X has been obtained by coupling the dansy1 chloride with the amine resulting from the bezafibrate alkaline hydrolysis. The purified DNS-X has been further characterized by spectrum analysis (UV-Vis, fluorescence, [1H]/[13C]-NMR and mass). At 250 microM and incubated for 48 h with the rat hepatic derived cells (Fao cells), DNS-X stimulates 12-fold the palmitoyl-CoA oxidase, a peroxisome proliferation marker enzyme. This increase is comparable to the one obtained with well known peroxi…