title: Role of beta-adrenoceptor at different stages of bronchial asthma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the changes of beta-adrenergic receptor (beta AR) in peripheral lymphocytes and beta 2AR mRNA levels at different stages of bronchial asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  beta 2AR density and beta 2AR mRNA level in peripheral lymphocytes, cAMP and cGMP levels in blood plasma were estimated by radioligand binding assay, radioimmunoassay and RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) Maximum bound volume (Bmax) and equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) of beta 2AR of lymphocyte in asthma patients at remission stage were markedly higher than that in normal subjects, while cAMP levels in blood plasma showed no difference. Bmax of beta 2AR and cAMP levels in asthma patients at acute exacerbation stage were significantly lower than that in normal subjects, and Kds between these two groups were not much different. (2) Expression of beta 2ARmRNA in peripheral lymphocytes of asthmatics at remission stage was not significantly different compared with that in normals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Amount and function of beta AR and beta 2ARmRNA levels are related to asthmatic conditions. Changes of beta AR and beta 2ARmRNA in asthma might rather be a pathological change accompanied by the course of the disease than a primary defect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000097:blood; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D006152:Cyclic GMP