Hormone action at the membrane level. IV. Epinephrine binding to rat liver plasma membranes and rat epididymal fat cells.

[3-H]Epinephrine binding to isolated purified rat liver plasma membranes is a reversible process. An initial peak in binding occurs at about 15 min and a plateau occurs by 50 min. Optimal binding occurred at a membrane protein concentration of 125mug. Rat liver plasma membranes stored at-70 degrees C up to 4 weeks showed no difference in epinephrine binding capacity as compared to control fresh membranes. Epinephrine binding to liver plasma membranes was decreased by 79% by phospholipase A2 (phosphatide acylhydrolase EC 3.1.1.4), 81% by phospholipase C (phosphatidylcholine choline phosphohydrolase EC 3.1.4.3) and 59% by phospholipase D (phosphatidylcholine phosphatidohydrolase EC 3.1.4.4). Trypsin and pronase digestion of the membrane decreased epinephrine binding by 97 and 47% respectively. In the presence of 10-3M Mg-2+ ions, increasing concentrations of QTP decreased epinephrine binding to liver plasma membranes. A maximal effect was demonstrated with 10-5M GTP, representing an inhibition of 52% of the control. In a Mg-2+ -free system, epinephrine binding was unaffected by GTP. However, in a Mg-2+ -free system, increasing concentrations of ATP cause increasing inhibition of hormone binding. ATP at 10-3 M reduced epinephrine binding to 28% of the control. GRP (10-5 M) was shown to inhibit epinephrine uptake rather than epinephrine release from the membrane. [3-H]Epinephrine binding to isolated rat epididymal fat cells shows an initial peak within 5 min followed by a gradual rise which plateaus after 60 min. Epinephrine binding increased nearly linearly with increasing fat cell protein concentration (40-200 mug protein). GTP (10-5 M) and ATP (10-4 M) decreased epinephrine binding to rat epididymal fat cells by 41%. Nearly complete inhibition of binding was demonstrated with 10-2-10-3M ATP. Epinephrine analogs that contain two hydroxyl groups in the 3 and 4 position on the benzene ring act as inhibitors of [3-H]epinephrine binding to rat adipocytes. Alteration of the epinephrine side chain has relatively little influence on binding. Analogs in which one of the ring hydroxyl groups is missing or methylated are poor inhibitors of [3-H]epinephrine binding. Alpha-(phentolamine and phenoxybenzamine) and beta-(propranolol and dichorisoproterenol) adrenergic blocking agents were tested with respect to their ability to influence [3-H]epinephrine binding and their influence on epinephrine-stimulated lipolysis. Only dichloroisoproterenol significantly inhibited epinephrine binding (by 25%). The two beta-adrenergic blocking agents caused an inhibition of epinephrine-stimulated glycerol release, with propranolol being most effective. Phentolamine and phenoxybenzamine had no significant effect on the epinephrine stimulation of glycerol release by fat cells.