title: Pregnancy-induced changes in the interaction of guinea pig myometrial beta-adrenergic receptors with l-isoproterenol.
abstract: The ability of myometrial beta-adrenergic receptors to form a "'high-affinity state" with beta-adrenergic receptor agonists might be greater in pregnant guinea pigs at greater than or equal to 0.9 of gestation than in nonpregnant animals. To determine whether this difference is due to pregnancy in general or is associated only with late pregnancy and to determine whether it persists in the postpartum period, we studied the interaction of l-isoproterenol with beta-adrenergic receptors in myometrial membranes obtained from nonpregnant (nulligravid) animals, pregnant (primigravid) animals at 0.3, 0.7, and 0.9 to 1.0 of gestation (term 65 days), and postpartum guinea pigs (2 to 3 days). The affinity of myometrial beta-adrenergic receptors for l-isoproterenol was measured by percent inhibition of -[125I]cyanopindolol binding. In the presence of magnesium chloride, the competition curves could be resolved into two affinity state of the beta-adrenergic receptor, "high" and "low," respectively, in all groups. The ratio of the dissociation constant of the "low"-affinity state to that of the "high"-affinity state was significantly higher in pregnant guinea pigs at greater than or equal to 0.9 of gestation than in nonpregnant or postpartum animals and in pregnant animals of earlier gestations. In the presence of guanosine triphosphate only one (low-affinity) state of the receptor was detectable. Thus it is only in pregnant guinea pigs at greater than or equal to 0.9 of gestation that the ability of myometrial beta-adrenergic receptors to form a high-affinity state is enhanced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Hatjis
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Grogan
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000378:metabolism*; D009215:Myometrium / Q000378:metabolism*; D010869:Pindolol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; C047975:cyanopindolol; D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate; D010869:Pindolol; D007545:Isoproterenol