Cardiac beta-adrenoceptor desensitization after sinoaortic baroreceptors denervation or isoproterenol-pretreatment

Effects of long-term pretreatment with isoproterenol on inotropic responsiveness to alpha-adrenoceptor stimulation: study in isolated perfused rat hearts

The effects of chronic pretreatment with isoproterenol (5 mg kg(-1)) daily for 10 days on cardiac alpha-adrenergic responsiveness in Langendorff heart preparations were investigated. Isoproterenol pretreatment caused cardiac hypertrophy (29%) as shown by a significant increase in the ratio of ventricular dry weight to body weight. In preparations from isoproterenol-pretreated rats, both maximum increases in left ventricular systolic pressure and heart rate elicited by isoproterenol (10(-12) to 10(-4) M) were significantly reduced (the isoproterenol concentration producing 50% of the maximum positive inotropic and chronotropic responses was enhanced almost 32- and 4-fold, respectively), while the positive inotropic response to phenylephrine (10(-12) to 10(-4) M) was significantly enhanced (the phenylephrine concentration producing 50% of the maximum positive inotropic effect was reduced almost 100-fold), compared with saline-pretreated rats. In preparations from both groups, phenylephrine infusion induced non-significant changes in heart rate and its positive inotropic response was reduced in the presence of propranolol (10(-7) M) in the perfusion medium. Even under beta-adrenoceptor blockade, the curve for the phenylephrine-induced positive inotropic effect remained shifted upward after isoproterenol pretreatment. Chronic isoproterenol pretreatment induces the expected cardiac beta-adrenoceptor desensitization while simultaneously enhancing the positive inotropic responsiveness to phenylephrine in Langendorff heart preparations. These findings support the hypothesis that cardiac alpha1-adrenoceptor stimulation may contribute to the maintenance of myocardial function under conditions in which beta-adrenoceptor function is compromised.

Regulation of beta-adrenoceptors in the guinea-pig sinoatrial node

This study examined the changes of beta-adrenoceptors in the guinea-pig sinoatrial nodal region following 7 day (-)-isoprenaline (400 micrograms/kg/h s.c.) infusion and the relationship between beta-adrenoceptor desensitization and receptor down-regulation. Changes in beta 1- and beta 2-adrenoceptor density were measured using quantitative autoradiography and function in organ bath studies. (-)-Isoprenaline treatment produced a marked decrease in total (from 57.5 to 33.9 fmol/mg protein), beta 1- (from 49.4 to 32.8 fmol/mg protein), and beta 2-adrenoceptor density (from 8.1 to 1.05 fmol/mg protein) in the sinoatrial node. In adjacent right atrium, treatment produced no change in total (39.5 and 36.7 fmol/mg protein) or beta 1-adrenoceptors (35.9 and 36.4 fmol/mg protein) but did decrease beta 2-adrenoceptors (from 3.7 to 0.3 fmol/mg protein). Chronotropic effects were measured in spontaneously beating right atrium. Procaterol, a selective beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist, caused a biphasic chronotropic response in control right atria, the first part of which was abolished in the tissue from treated animals. The maximum increase in right atrial rate to RO363, a beta 1-adrenoceptor selective partial agonist, was reduced from 114 bpm in control to 43 bpm in treated animals. In electrically driven right atrium with the sinoatrial node removed procaterol failed to produce a positive inotropic response via beta 2-adrenoceptors, but the maximum response to RO363 was reduced from 0.75 g in the control tissue to 0.12 g in the treated tissue. This study showed that changes in beta 2-adrenoceptor density following 7 day (-)-isoprenaline infusion are compatible with reduced functional responsiveness in the SA node. The reduction of beta 1-adrenoceptor number in the SA node was also compatible with the reduced chronotropic response in this tissue. However the lack of effect on beta 1-adrenoceptor density in the right atrium was not consistent with the decrease in beta 1-adrenoceptor mediated inotropic response in this tissue. This suggests that beta-adrenoceptor desensitization is not always associated with receptor down-regulation but depends also on the changes in the cell signalling system beyond the level of the receptor which differ according to the cardiac location.

Effects of isoproterenol on the mechanical activity of isolated papillary muscles and perfused rat hearts in various calcium concentrations

The aim of the study was to examine, in papillary muscles and in a whole heart preparation, the effects of isoproterenol on the myocardial mechanical activity at different extracellular Ca2+ concentrations. Papillary muscles from left ventricles, contracting isometrically, and rat hearts perfused by the Langendorff technique developing isovolumetric pressure at a fixed rate (200 bpm) and diastolic pressure of 5 mmHg were studied at different Ca2+ concentrations for analysis of the effects of increasing doses of isoproterenol. Papillary muscles were treated with isoproterenol (0.5 to 8 ng ml-1) at four extracellular Ca2+ concentrations (0.25, 0.5, 1.25 and 2.5 mM) and Langendorff perfused hearts were stimulated by isoproterenol (0.05 ng ml-1 to 0.8 ng ml-1), also at four extracellular Ca2+ concentrations (0.5, 1.25, 2.5 and 3.75 mM). Both papillary muscles and perfused hearts showed that force and isovolumetric systolic pressure increase in response to isoproterenol at low Ca2+ concentrations. As Ca2+ concentration is increased, isoproterenol's positive inotropic effect subsides. However, papillary muscle isometric contractions showed a similar time to peak tension decrease in response to isoproterenol at all external Ca2+ concentrations used. The results suggest that the positive inotropic response to isoproterenol, in isolated preparations, changes as a function of extracellular Ca2+ concentration decreasing as external Ca2+ increases. Time to peak tension reduction reinforces the idea that this small positive inotropic response to isoproterenol of the rat myocardium, at the physiological Ca2+ concentration, is due to the Ca2+ saturation of the mechanical activity.

Myocardial depression produced by unilateral nephrectomy in rats

Previous experiments using 15 days renovascular hypertensive rats and their sham operated uninephrectomized controls suggested a decrease in contractile force developed by the papillary muscles from uninephrectomized rats. Because of the implications of such findings two sets of experiments were performed. The first set 15 days after operations, compared four groups of Wistar male rats: uninephrectomized, sham operated controls and renovascular hypertensive 1K1C and 2K1C. In the second set of experiments the time course effects of uninephrectomy was analysed. The first four groups of animals showed that mean blood pressure was normal in both controls and uninephrectomized rats, but the 1K1C and 2K1C groups were hypertensive. Contractile performance was analysed 24 hours after hemodynamic studies from isometric contracting left ventricle papillary muscles. Results showed similar force development in controls, 1K1C and in 2K1C muscles. However, the muscles from uninephrectomized rats showed a significant contractile depression when compared to the other groups, even under different inotropic interventions, like isoproterenol or post-rest potentiation. The study of the time course effects of uninephrectomy showed that the contractile activity is depressed 7, 15 and 30 days after unilateral nephrectomy. The results suggest that the mechanical depression, whatever its underlying mechanism, is located at the contractile machinery level.

Vascular reactivity to methoxamine in conscious sinoaortic denervated rats

Alterations in vascular alpha-adrenoceptor responsiveness following sinoaortic denervation was studied in conscious rats. The arterial hypertension observed in baroreceptor denervated rats decreased progressively during the 30 days of observation. A pressor hyperresponsiveness to methoxamine (10-80 micrograms/kg, iv), was observed 3 to 7 days after baroreceptor denervation followed by a gradual normalization of the vascular reactivity. The results indicate a possible participation of an enhanced alpha 1-adrenoceptor-mediated vasoconstrictor component in the early phase of neurogenic hypertension.

Sex hormone modulation of ventricular hypertrophy in sinoaortic denervated rats

The influence of sex hormones on the development of left ventricular hypertrophy was investigated in baroreceptor-denervated rats. A significant increase (p less than 0.01) in the left ventricular weight/body weight ratio was observed in male but not in female rats 15 days after operation, compared to age- and sex-matched sham-operated rats. This differential hypertrophy occurred despite the development of a significant elevation in arterial blood pressure in both sexes. Castration prior to sinoaortic denervation did not change the level of arterial hypertension but caused a significant reduction (p less than 0.01) in left ventricular weight in male rats and a significant increase (p less than 0.01) in female rats. The pretreatment of male and female sinoaortic denervated and castrated rats with testosterone resulted in ventricular hypertrophy similar to that observed in intact male sinoaortic denervated rats. Pretreatment with estradiol, however, suppressed the left ventricular hypertrophy in intact male rats but did not change the normal ventricular mass observed in intact female sinoaortic denervated rats. These results indicate that the development of left ventricular hypertrophy in sinoaortic denervated rats is modulated by sex hormones, and that testosterone exerts a facilitatory and estradiol an inhibitory action.

Contractile performance of papillary muscles of renovascular hypertensive and isoproterenol-pretreated rats

Previous studies suggested that left ventricle papillary muscles from neurogenic hypertensive rats with 15 days of sino-aortic denervation (SAD) develop intense depression of their inotropic state. Considering that these animals have an increased cardiac sympathetic tonus that could produce the observed depression of the contractile response we did the present study simulating a cardiac sympathetic hyperactivity pretreating rats, during 15 days, with isoproterenol (IPA, 0.1 mg/kg, i.p., divided in 3 daily doses). Because SAD rats also develop hypertension, the effect of blood pressure overload was studied in rats with 15 days of renovascular hypertension (RHR), Goldblatt 1K1C, to compare, separated, the effects of sympathetic hyperactivity and hemodynamic overload. Results showed that RHR had muscles that developed larger force than their controls (C: 7.31 +/- 0.34 g/mm2, RHR: 12.8 +/- 0.40 g/mm2), meanwhile IPA pretreated rats had muscles developing less force than their respective controls (C: 13.8 +/- 0.37 g/mm2, IPA: 8.61 +/- 0.24 g/mm2). These results are according to the proposition that the contractile state depression is related to the sympathetic hyperactivity, as suggested by the IPA pre-treated group and because the animals with isolated pressure overload showed a better contractile performance when compared to their uninephrectomized controls.