Cardiostimulatory effects of prenalterol, a beta-1 adrenoceptor partial agonist, in vivo and in vitro. Correlation between physiological effects and adenylate cyclase activity.

The cardiostimulatory effects of prenalterol, a beta-1-adrenoceptor partial agonist, were studied in vivo and in vitro and compared to those evoked by isoprenaline, a full agonist, and to those of other partial agonists. In the anaesthetized rat, prenalterol and terbutaline were found not to elevate the myocardial cyclic AMP content; this was in sharp contrast to isoprenaline. Both partial agonists did, however, produce significant effects on heart rate. In the anaesthetized cat, prenalterol exhibited chronotropic and inotropic intrinsic activities of 88 and 76% respectively in relation to isoprenaline. No statistically significant increase in myocardial cyclic AMP content could however be detected. Prenalterol did not stimulate adenylate cyclase significantly in the cat myocardial homogenate. This was also true of the beta-2-adrenoceptor selective partial agonist procaterol. In this preparation, isoprenaline, noradrenaline and adrenaline acted as full agonists. Furthermore, prenalterol produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of isoprenaline-activated adenylate cyclase. Our data indicate that maximal cardiac stimulation occurs at a low level of adenylate cyclase activation and low myocardial cyclic AMP concentration when provoked by a full beta-adrenoceptor agonist. The maximal physiological effects of a partial agonist such as prenalterol may consequently be achieved at a marginal activation of the adenylate cyclase. The present data may thus support the hypothesis of a large beta-adrenoceptor reserve for full agonists in the heart.