Beta-adrenergic responsiveness in cultured aorta smooth muscle cells. Effects of subculture and aging.

beta-Adrenoceptor-mediated vasorelaxation is diminished in vessels from a variety of aged species including humans. This phenomenon was studied for the first time in cultured aorta smooth muscle cells (ASMC) from young (4- to 6-month) and old (24- to 26-month) F-344 rats. Cyclic AMP (cAMP) accumulation was assessed following isoproterenol and forskolin stimulations in primary cultures and after 1-4 passages of aorta smooth muscle cells. Isoproterenol and forskolin increased cAMP accumulation 6- and 10-fold, respectively, in primary cultures from young rats. Isoproterenol stimulation was reduced markedly in passaged cells. Forskolin stimulation was unaffected, indicating passage-related phenotypic changes in receptor-mediated stimulation, but not in post-receptor adenylate cyclase activation. The response to isoproterenol was diminished in old animals, but that to forskolin was unaltered. Thus, cultured ASMC from F-344 rats are highly responsive to beta-adrenoceptor stimulation and demonstrate age-related changes, but undergo phenotypic modulation during passage.