Heterogeneity of beta-adrenoceptor in canine veins: comparison among the facial, portal and saphenous veins.

A study was made on the characteristics of beta-adrenoceptors in the isolated canine facial, portal and saphenous veins. Ring segments of the facial and saphenous veins and longitudinal strips of the portal vein were suspended in tissue baths containing Krebs solution oxygenated and maintained at 37 degrees C. They were moderately contracted with prostaglandin F2 alpha before examining their relaxation responses. The facial and saphenous veins fully relaxed to isoproterenol, while the portal vein relaxed to a small extent (20% of maximum relaxation) even in the presence of an alpha-adrenoceptor blockade. In contrast, both forskolin, a direct activator of adenylate cyclase, and membrane-permeable dibutyryl cyclic AMP similarly relaxed all the veins studied. Thus, the reduction of coupling between beta-adrenoceptors and the adenylate cyclase system may be involved in the decreased responsiveness of the portal vein to beta-adrenoceptor agonists. In addition, analyses of beta-adrenoceptor agonism and antagonism, using selective (beta 1: T-1583, beta 2: procaterol) and non-selective (isoproterenol) agonists as well as selective (beta 1: atenolol, beta 2: ICI 118,551) and non-selective (propranolol) antagonists, confirmed that beta-adrenoceptors in the canine facial vein are not homogeneous, with the beta 1-subtype predominating over the beta 2-subtype, and that the canine saphenous vein has a homogeneous population of the beta 2-subtype, as reported in the other species.