The influence of hormonal and neuronal factors on rat heart adrenoceptors.

1 The influence of hormonal and neuronal factors on adrenoceptors mediating increased cardiac force and rate of contraction were studied in rat isolated atria. The pharmacological properties of these receptors were deduced from the relative potencies of agonists and from the effects of selective alpha- and beta-adrenoceptor antagonists. The numbers and affinities of alpha- and beta-adrenoceptors were also determined by radioligand binding to ventricular membrane fragments.2 Hypophysectomy reduced the inotropic potency of isoprenaline and increased the potency of phenylephrine and methoxamine in left atria. The effect of phenylephrine was inhibited by propranolol less effectively and by phentolamine or phenoxybenzamine more effectively in hypophysectomized than in control rats. The difference in block was smaller at low than at high antagonist concentrations. Similar but smaller changes were observed for chronotropic responses of right atria.3 The decreased beta- and increased alpha-receptor response after hypophysectomy was similar to that observed earlier in thyroidectomized rats (Kunos, 1977). These changes developed slowly after hypophysectomy (>2 weeks), they were both reversed within 2 days of thyroxine treatment (0.2 mg/kg daily), but were not affected by cortisone treatment (50 mg/kg every 12 h for 4 days).4 Treatment of hypophysectomized rats for 2 days with thyroxine increased the density of [(3)H]-dihydroalprenolol ([(3)H]-DHA) binding sites from 27.5 +/- 2.7 to 45.5 +/- 5.7 fmol/mg protein and decreased the density of [(3)H]-WB-4101 binding sites from 38.7 +/- 3.1 to 18.7 +/- 2.5 fmol/mg protein. The affinity of either type of binding site for agonists or antagonist was not significantly altered by thyroxine treatment and the sum total of alpha(1)- and beta-receptors remained the same.5 Sympathetic denervation of thyroidectomized rats by 6-hydroxydopamine increased the inotropic potency of isoprenaline and noradrenaline and the blocking effect of propranolol, and decreased the potency of phenylephrine and the blocking effect of phenoxybenzamine to or beyond values observed in euthyroid controls. The density of [(3)H]-DHA binding sites was higher and that of [(3)H]-WB-4101 binding sites was lower in the denervated than in the innervated hypothyroid myocardium. Depletion of endogenous noradrenaline stores by reserpine did not significantly alter the adrenoceptor response pattern of the hypothyroid preparations and did not influence the density or affinity of [(3)H]-DHA and [(3)H]-WB-4101 binding sites.6 These results indicate that thyrotropin or steroids do not contribute to the reciprocal changes in the sensitivity of cardiac alpha(1)- and beta-adrenoceptors in altered thyroid states. These thyroid hormone-dependent changes are probably due to a parallel, reciprocal change in the numbers but not the affinities of alpha(1)- and beta-adrenoceptors. Reciprocal regulation of cardiac alpha(1)- and beta-adrenoceptors by thyroid hormones requires intact sympathetic innervation but not the presence of normal stores of the neurotransmitter.