Role of cyclic AMP in cardiac beta-adrenoceptor desensitization: studies using prenalterol and inhibitors of phosphodiesterase.

We examined the effects of prolonged exposure of cardiac cells in primary culture to the partial beta-adrenoceptor agonist prenalterol and inhibitors of phosphodiesterase on their subsequent ability to increase intracellular cyclic AMP during a 5-min exposure to 50 microM isoprenaline (receptor responsiveness). Although prenalterol possesses only 7% of the agonist activity of isoprenaline on adenylate cyclase, it induces extensive beta-adrenoceptor desensitization. Three hours after exposing the cells to 1 microM prenalterol, beta-adrenoceptor responsiveness was reduced by 40% (p less than 0.05), whereas after 12 h the reduction averaged 55%. Prolonging the incubation time to 48 h had no further effect on the magnitude of receptor desensitization. The magnitude of the desensitization was concentration dependent. On exposure of cells to 10(-8) M prenalterol for 16 h, receptor responsiveness was reduced by 19%, and at concentrations of 1 microM and higher responsiveness was reduced by 60% (p less than 0.01). Receptor desensitization appeared to be due to an inability of receptors to activate adenylate cyclase as well as to receptor loss. To investigate if beta-adrenoceptor desensitization as well as receptor loss could be mediated by cyclic AMP, the cells were exposed for 16 h to inhibitors of phosphodiesterase. Exposure of cells to the phosphodiesterase inhibitor isobutylmethylxanthine (0.1 mM) (which increased intracellular cyclic AMP by between 50 and 150%) also induced receptor desensitization. The reduction in receptor responsiveness averaged 62% (p less than 0.01). The loss in responsiveness could be accounted for by an inability of receptors to activate adenylate cyclase as well as by receptor loss.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)