Fluorine 19 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies of intracellular fluorinated calcium chelators provide a useful strategy for the determination of cytosolic free calcium levels in cells and perfused organs. However, the fluorinated chelator with the highest affinity for calcium ions which has been described to date. 1,2-bis-(2-amino-5-fluorophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (5FBAPTA), exhibits a dissociation constant (Kd) value 5- to 10-fold greater than the intracellular calcium concentration levels in most cell types, thus limiting the ability of fluorine NMR to report these concentrations reliably. We have consequently designed and synthesized several fluorinated calcium chelators with higher affinity for calcium. The best of these, 2-(2-amino-4-methyl-5-fluorophenoxy)-methyl-8 aminoquinidine-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (quinMF), has a Kd value approximately 10 times lower than that of 5FBAPTA. Several of the newly synthesized indicators have different chemical shifts for the calcium complexed and uncomplexed chelators to allow the simultaneous use of two indicators. In addition to providing information about the level of cytosolic free calcium, chelators containing a quinoline ring exhibit considerable sensitivity to magnesium levels and hence have potential application for the determination of cytosolic-magnesium concentrations. Application of these chelators is illustrated by determination of the cytosolic-free calcium level in erythrocytes. Use of quinMF, the chelator with the lowest Kd value, gives a calcium value of 25-30 nM.
