Effect of isoproterenol on phosphorylase activation in the hyperthyroid rat heart.

Pretreatment of rats for 3 days with triiodothyronine produced an increase in rate in the right atrium and a decrease in force of contraction in the right ventricle and Langendorff heart. Isoproterenol administration produced a time-dependent increase in rate and tension. The increase in rate was consistently greater in atria from hyperthyroid rats, and the increase in tension consistently greater in tissues from euthyroid rats. Isoproterenol also produced a time- and dose-dependent increase in phosphorylase a activity. In the isolated atria and ventricles enzyme activity was similar in the two groups. In the Langendorff hearts, however, there was an enhancement of the isoproterenol-induced increase in phosphorylase activity in hearts from hyperthyroid rats. Reduction of the coronary blood flow to the level found in euthyroid animals did not reduce the potentiation of phosphorylase activation found in hearts from hyperthyroid rats. It is concluded that the potentiation of phosphorylase activation in hearts from hyperthyroid rats is not due to the increase in coronary blood flow.