Adrenoceptor-mediated regulation of myofibrillar Ca2+ sensitivity through the GTP-binding protein-related mechanisms: tension recording in beta-escin-skinned single rat cardiac cells with preserved receptor functions.

To investigate the mechanisms of receptor-mediated regulation of heart muscle contraction, we developed a tension-recording system using beta-escin-skinned single cardiac cells of rats and studied the effects of agonists on myofibrillar Ca2+ sensitivity and Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). In pCa/tension relations, 1 microM isoproterenol plus 100 microM guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) decreased the myofibrillar Ca2+ sensitivity (pCa50, the [Ca2+] required for half-maximal tension, as an indicator of the sensitivity; from 6.07 to 5.92); this effect was blocked by 1 microM metoprolol or 1 mM guanosine 5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) (GDPbetaS). Phenylephrine (10 microM) plus 100 microM GTP increased the Ca2+ sensitivity (pCa50; from 6.12 to 6. 28), and this effect was blocked by 1 microM phentolamine or 1 mM GDPbetaS. After Ca2+ loading into the SR, 10 microM phenylephrine plus 100 microM GTP in a low-ethylene- glycol-bis(beta-aminoethylether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA, 0. 1 mM) relaxing solution induced oscillatory contractions that were attenuated by either 1 microM phentolamine or pre-treatment with 10 microM inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. Our results demonstrate that beta1-adrenergic stimulation decreases myofibrillar Ca2+ sensitivity and that alpha1-adrenergic stimulation both increases the Ca2+ sensitivity and activates Ca2+ release from the agonist-sensitive SR through GTP-binding protein-related mechanisms.