title: Beta 2-adrenergic receptors on peripheral nerves.
abstract: We report that peripheral nerves have a functional adenylate cyclase-coupled beta-adrenergic receptor. The pharmacological specificity of this receptor is shown to be of the beta 2 subtype. Two peripheral nerves, the sciatic from the frog and rat and the vagus from the rat, responded to beta 2-agonists with 10-50-fold increases in intracellular cyclic AMP level. This increase was inhibited by the beta-adrenergic antagonist propranolol. In contrast, a central nerve tract, the corpus callosum, responded to isoproterenol with only a minimal one- to twofold increase in cyclic AMP level. These studies demonstrate that peripheral nerves have beta 2-adrenergic receptors that are responsive to exogenously applied catecholamines and suggest a role for these ligands in the previously described modulation of axonal conduction.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000494:pharmacology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D007545:Isoproterenol; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine