[Effect of epinephrine on a culture of normal skin fibroblasts and fibroblasts in systemic scleroderma].

Decrease in content of cAMP and increase--of cGMP as well as stimulation of Ca2+ transport into cells were found in cell cultures of skin fibroblasts from patients with systemic scleroderma (SSD) as compared with normal state. Adrenaline affected dissimilarly the fibroblasts from the patients and healthy donors. In SSD the stimulating effect of adrenaline (10(-7)M) on the cAMP content was decreased more than 6-fold as compared with normal state; at the same time, transport of Ca2+ was inhibited by the hormone (2 X 10(-6)M) in SSD contrary to a stimulating effect of adrenaline in normal cells. Blocking of beta-adrenoreceptors with inderal removed completely the effect of adrenaline on Ca2+ transport both in normal and pathological states. Alteration in the reactions of fibroblasts to catecholamines might be important in deterioration of the physiological mechanism including inhibition of collagen synthesis in SSD.