Prenalterol is an agonist at beta 2- as well as at beta 1-adrenoceptors.

Prenalterol exerted agonist activity in cat, but not guinea-pig, isolated atria, which contain predominantly beta 1-adrenoceptors. Prenalterol relaxed K+ -contracted rat uterus, but not histamine-contracted cat lung strips; both contain predominantly beta 2-adrenoceptors. The effect of prenalterol in rat uterus was antagonised by the selective beta 2-adrenoceptor antagonist ICI 118551 but not by the selective beta 1-adrenoceptor antagonist atenolol. Thus the ability of prenalterol to exert beta-adrenoceptor activity is tissue-dependent, rather than beta-adrenoceptor subtype-dependent.