title: Transient elevation of cardiac beta-adrenoceptor responsiveness and receptor number in the streptozotocin-diabetic rat.
abstract: 1. The effects on cardiac responsiveness of diabetes of up to 12 weeks duration has been examined in streptozotocin-pretreated rats. 2. Two weeks of diabetes resulted in a supersensitivity of isolated left atria and papillary muscles to isoprenaline, which was associated with an increase in the density of ventricular [3H]-dihydroalprenolol binding sites. 3. The beta-adrenoceptor supersensitivity was still evident in both tissues after 4 weeks of diabetes, but in left atria the supersensitivity was reduced compared with that observed at 2 weeks, while for papillary muscles it was greater than at 2 weeks. 4. Following 12 weeks of diabetes, responses of papillary muscles to isoprenaline were similar to controls, while beta-mediated responses of left atria were significantly depressed. 5. The alpha-adrenoceptor-mediated responses of cardiac tissues to phenylephrine were similar to controls following diabetes of 2 or 4 weeks duration. At 12 weeks, however, papillary muscle alpha-adrenoceptor-mediated responses were enhanced. The change in ventricular responsiveness to phenylephrine was not accompanied by any change in [3H]-prazosin binding to ventricular membranes. 6. The results demonstrate a transient elevation of cardiac beta-adrenoceptor sensitivity and receptor density during acute diabetes and illustrate the time- and tissue-dependence of diabetes-induced changes in cardiac adrenoceptor sensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Austin
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chess-Williams
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004082:Dihydroalprenolol / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D010210:Papillary Muscles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011224:Prazosin / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D010656:Phenylephrine; D004082:Dihydroalprenolol; D007545:Isoproterenol; D002118:Calcium; D011224:Prazosin