Inotropic responses to isoproterenol in congestive heart failure subsequent to myocardial infarction in rats

It is well known that the positive inotropic effect of catecholamines is mediated through the activation of adrenergic receptors and the formation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP) in the cardiac cell. Although attenuated responses of failing hearts to catecholamines are commonly seen in patients and experimental animals with coronary artery disease, their mechanisms are poorly understood. To examine the status of beta-adrenergic receptors and postadrenergic receptor mechanisms in congestive heart failure due to myocardial infarction, the left coronary artery in rats was ligated for 4 and 8 weeks before studying the hemodynamic and biochemical changes due to isoproterenol, a beta-adrenoceptor agonist, or forskolin, a postreceptor agonist. Isolated perfused rat heart preparations were also used for studying changes in contractile function and cyclic AMP content. The hemodynamic actions and changes in the left ventricular cyclic AMP content in the experimental animals were depressed, not only in response to isoproterenol but also to forskolin. The density of beta-adrenoceptors was also decreased in the failing myocardium. In isolated perfused hearts from the 8-week experimental animals, isoproterenol-induced as well as forskolin-induced increases in both contractile force and cyclic AMP content in the left ventricle were depressed. These data suggest that defects in both beta-adrenergic receptor and postreceptor sites may be involved in attenuating the response of infarcted hearts to catecholamines.