Alpha-1-adrenergic receptors: targets for agonist drugs to treat heart failure.
Evidence from cell, animal, and human studies demonstrates that α1-adrenergic receptors mediate adaptive and protective effects in the heart. These effects may be particularly important in chronic heart failure, when catecholamine levels are elevated and β-adrenergic receptors are down-regulated and dysfunctional. This review summarizes these data and proposes that selectively activating α1-adrenergic receptors in the heart might represent a novel and effective way to treat heart failure. This article is part of a special issue entitled "Key Signaling Molecules in Hypertrophy and Heart Failure."
Cardiology Division, VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA. brian_jensen@med.unc.edu
Brian C
BC
Jensen
Timothy D
TD
O'Connell
Paul C
PC
Simpson
D058646:Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D018340:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical
D058646:Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Agonists; D018340:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1