title: Relevance of changes in adrenoceptor characteristics after terbutaline treatment.
abstract: Rats were treated with terbutaline in order to specify the in vivo effects of beta 2-sympathicomimetic treatment in relation with desensitization phenomena on the level of pulmonary adrenoceptors. Maximal binding of 3H-dihydroalprenolol (3H-DHA) to lung membrane preparations, binding affinity and the relative amount of beta 2-adrenoceptors were used as parameters. These were established 1, 3, and 6 days after a 10 days terbutaline treatment and compared with control values. Ten days treatment did not cause significant changes in the parameters measured. However, maximal binding was enhanced 3 and 6 days after the last treatment, binding affinity was enhanced 3 days after the last treatment, while the relative amount of beta 2-adrenoceptors was diminished 1 and 6 days after termination of the treatment. When the amount of beta 2-adrenoceptors was calculated in terms of 3H-DHA binding, an increase could be shown 3 days after the last terbutaline treatment. Therefore the direct influence of the treatment on the beta-adrenoceptor population appeared to be small, dependent on the parameter used and probably not eliciting a functional desensitization.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D004082:Dihydroalprenolol / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000187:drug effects*; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000187:drug effects; D013726:Terbutaline / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D004082:Dihydroalprenolol; D013726:Terbutaline