Effect of oxygen tension on catecholamine-induced formation of cAMP and on swelling of carp red blood cells.

We studied the effects of beta-adrenergic stimulation on the formation of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) and on the cell volume in carp red blood cells in normoxia (PO2 = 150 mmHg) and hypoxia (PO2 = 8 mmHg). Accumulation of cAMP was the prerequisite for adrenergic cell swelling. Cell swelling was induced by beta-agonists, forskolin, and 8-bromo-cAMP. The amount of cAMP required for adrenergic swelling was minimal; swelling was observed at cAMP concentrations greater than 100 nM. Maximal increase in cell volume was observed at 200 nM cAMP. These values were independent of both the oxygen tension and the beta-agonist used. Norepinephrine caused the largest accumulation of cAMP, followed by isoproterenol and epinephrine. At hypoxic conditions, the cAMP concentrations obtained after stimulation with the natural catecholamines norepinephrine and epinephrine were greater than at normoxic conditions. The catecholamines caused appreciable cell swelling at lower concentrations in hypoxia than in normoxia. Thus the number of beta-adrenergic receptors, and their inherent ligand affinities, may be higher in hypoxic than in normoxic carp red blood cells. Oxygen tension had a pronounced effect on the magnitude of the adrenergic swelling. The maximal increase in cell volume was 5-7% in hypoxia, whereas in normoxia it was only approximately 2%. This was not due to differences in cAMP formation, but possibly to a greater activity of the Na(+)-H+ exchanger in hypoxic than in normoxic conditions.