title: Neuropeptide Y prevents agonist-stimulated increases in contractility.
abstract: Neuropeptide Y has been shown to inhibit contractility in the rat heart. Although the reasons for this effect are not known, it is possible that postsynaptic adrenergic mechanisms involving neuropeptide Y may be responsible. To ascertain whether this neuromodulatory effect is possible for decreasing contractility, we investigated the effect of neuropeptide Y on agonist-stimulated contractility of the isolated rat myocardium. Receptor binding studies of purified cardiac membranes showed that incubating membrane in the presence of neuropeptide Y (10(-7) mol/L) decreased the number of alpha-/beta-adrenoceptor binding sites without affecting the affinity of these receptors. Isolated hearts perfused with phenylephrine (10(-5) to 10(-10) mol/L) or isoproterenol (10(-5) to 10(-10) mol/L) in a nonrecirculating Langendorff setup demonstrated a significant increase in contractility over control values, whereas no change in contractility was observed when the hearts were perfused with neuropeptide Y (10(-7) mol/L). However, in the presence of both agonist and neuropeptide Y the increase in contractility previously seen with agonist alone was not evident. Comparisons made with hearts taken from aortic banded rats yielded similar results. Although neuropeptide Y itself was ineffective in decreasing contractility, it prevented the agonists from stimulating contractility when perfused together. We conclude that neuropeptide Y does not directly decrease contractility but prevents agonist-stimulated increases in contractility through alpha-/beta-adrenoceptor pathways. This neuromodulatory effect of neuropeptide Y is unchanged in situations of increased sympathetic activity, such as hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, St Boniface General Hospital Research Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Ganguly
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004082:Dihydroalprenolol / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011224:Prazosin / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000187:drug effects; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D010656:Phenylephrine; D004082:Dihydroalprenolol; D007545:Isoproterenol; D011224:Prazosin