Direct characterization of beta-adrenoceptors in membranes of immature red blood cells from rats.

By means of the radioactive antagonist ligand (3H)(-) dihydroalprenolol (DHAP) specific binding sites were identified in membrane preparations from red blood cells from rats. These specific sites were characterized as beta-adrenoceptors because of the following reasons: Specific binding of DHAP (in contrast to unspecific binding) was dependent on temperature and time of incubation. Furthermore, specific binding of DHAP showed saturability, temperature-dependent reversibility and high affinity (KD-value of DHAP = 6.51 nM). Specific binding of DHAP was competitively inhibited by beta-adrenergic antagonists (pindolol greater than alprenolol greater than or equal to propranolol greater than practolol) and agonists (isoprenaline greater than adrenaline). The (-) enantiomers of pindolol and isoprenaline showed pronounced higher affinities for the receptor sites than the respective (+) enantiomers. The receptor density in the membrane preparations (pmoles/mg protein) was strongly dependent on the degree of reticulocytosis: The Bmax-values increased more than 4 to 5 fold without alteration of the respective KD-values when reticulocyte counts were enhanced from 3 to 80% treatment of the animals with increasing doses of acetyl phenylhydrazine.