Affinity constants and beta-adrenoceptor reserves for isoprenaline on cardiac tissue from normotensive and hypertensive rats.

To determine whether there are differences in cardiac beta-adrenoceptor responsiveness, isoprenaline affinity constants and fractional beta-adrenoceptor occupancy-response relationships for isoprenaline in the early stages of established hypertension, we studied the effects of bromoacetylalprenololmenthane (BAAM) and ([3,5-diamino-6-chloro-N-(1[N-beta-(2-hydroxyl-3-alpha-naphthoxypropy lamino)ethylcarbamoyl]-1-methylethyl)-pyrazine-2-carboxamide (ICI 147 798), slowly reversible beta-adrenoceptor antagonists, on the isoprenaline responses of the left ventricular papillary muscle and the left and right atria of 6-month-old Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The papillary muscles, but not the right and left atria, of the SHR were less responsive to isoprenaline than those of the WKY. The isoprenaline pD2 values (the negative logarithms of the molar concentrations of agonist producing 50% of the maximum response) were 7.72 and 8.00 on the SHR and WKY papillary muscles, respectively. On the WKY papillary muscle the isoprenaline KA values were 2-3 x 10(-6) M, which is as expected for isoprenaline at beta1 or beta2-adrenoceptors. Isoprenaline had 100-fold greater affinity on the WKY and SHR left atria than on the papillary muscles; the isoprenaline KA values were 2-4 x 10(-8) M. On the WKY papillary muscle and left atrium, isoprenaline had to occupy 3-4% of the beta-adrenoceptors to produce a 50% maximum response; on the WKY papillary muscle and left atrium isoprenaline had to occupy 25-35% and 55%, respectively, of the beta-adrenoceptors to produce a 90% maximum response. The SHR papillary muscles and left atrium had smaller beta-adrenoceptor reserves for isoprenaline than did the WKY tissues. We were unable to obtain isoprenaline KA values on the WKY right atrium. The isoprenaline KA value on the SHR right atrium was 1-4 x 10(-8) M. Because the isoprenaline KA values for the left and right atria are markedly different from those previously reported for isoprenaline at beta1 or beta2-adrenoceptors, we suggest that atypical beta-adrenoceptors might be present on the atria of WKY and SHR. We have also demonstrated a lower beta-adrenoceptor reserve on SHR papillary muscle and atria in the early stages of established hypertension.