title: Alpha-2A and alpha-2B adrenergic receptor subtypes: antagonist binding in tissues and cell lines containing only one subtype.
abstract: The affinities of 34 adrenergic antagonists for alpha-2 adrenergic receptors were determined from homogenate radioligand binding studies using [3H]yohimbine and [3H]rauwolscine. It has been suggested that alpha-2 adrenergic receptors can be subdivided into alpha-2A and alpha-2B subtypes. Oxymetazoline is selective for alpha-2A receptors, whereas prazosin is alpha-2B selective. Five different tissues were used, each of which has only one of the two subtypes: human platelet (alpha-2A), HT29 cell line (alpha-2A), human cerebral cortex (alpha-2A), neonatal rat lung (alpha-2B), and NG108-15 cell line (alpha-2B). The drug affinities were highly correlated when alpha-2A tissues were compared with alpha-2A tissues (r = 0.97 to 0.98) or when the two alpha-2B tissues were compared (r = 0.99). By contrast, comparison of an alpha-2A tissue with an alpha-2B tissue resulted in poor correlations (r = 0.77 to -0.87). Three new subtype selective drugs were identified among these drugs on the basis of at least a 10-fold greater affinity for one subtype. All three were selective for the alpha-2B subtype: ARC-239 (100-fold selective), chlorpromazine (18-fold selective), and 7-hydroxychlorpromazine (17-fold selective). These studies, by demonstrating distinct pharmacological profiles for the two alpha-2 adrenergic receptor subtypes in several different tissues, further support the existence and definition of these subtypes. The identification of a cell line for each subtype should be useful in the further study of alpha-2 adrenergic receptor subtypes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Bylund
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ray-Prenger
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011224:Prazosin / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D015016:Yohimbine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D015016:Yohimbine; D011224:Prazosin