Negative inotropic effect of pinacidil on the rat left atria

Abstract— Cromakalim at 50 μm and pinacidil at 0·1–10 μm had no effect, but pinacidil at 0·1 Mm had a negative inotropic effect on the rat electrically-driven left atria without altering the positive inotropic responses to isoprenaline or phenylephrine alone. Glibenclamide had no effect but 4-aminopyridine, procaine (30 μm ) and tetraethylammonium (3 Mm ) augmented the cardiac stimulation response. The ability of pinacidil to attenuate the cardiac stimulation response was not altered by glibenclamide, 4-aminopyridine or procaine but was prevented by pretreatment with tetraethylammonium. Thus, on the rat left atria, pinacidil has a negative inotropic effect which is unrelated to the opening of ATP-sensitive potassium channels, but may be due to opening the inward rectifying potassium channels.     

The effects of P1- and muscarinic-receptor agonists upon cAMP-dependent and independent inotropic responses of guinea-pig cardiac preparations.

1. The indirect negative inotropic effects of P1- and muscarinic-receptor agonists were compared by examining how the responses of isolated guinea-pig left atria and papillary muscles to positive inotropes were affected by the presence of the P1-receptor agonist, L-PIA or the muscarinic-receptor agonist, carbachol. 2. The indirect negative inotropic effects of L-PIA and carbachol were similar: both attenuated the responses of left atria more effectively than those of papillary muscles; and both more effectively attenuated responses to the cAMP-dependent positive inotropes, isoprenaline and forskolin. 3. However, there were differences: L-PIA, but not carbachol, was able at high concentrations to inhibit the responses of left atria to the calcium channel opener Bay K 8644; and at concentrations that produced similar direct negative inotropic effects, L-PIA consistently attenuated the positive inotropes more effectively than carbachol. 4. These findings are consistent with L-PIA being able to activate an additional negative inotropic mechanism that carbachol cannot.     

The interaction of adenosine analogues with cAMP-generating and cAMP-independent positive inotropic agents in rabbit left atrium

Summary The effects of adenosine receptor stimulation on the contractile force of rabbit isolated left atrial preparations in the absence and presence of cAMP-generating and cAMP-independent agonists were investigated. Adenosine and the stable adenosine analogues 5-(Nethyl) carboxamido adenosine (NECA) and (–)-N⁶-phe-nylisopropyladenosine (R-PIA) produced a concentration-dependent direct negative inotropic effect. Responses to NECA and R-PIA were insensitive to atropine and were shifted to the right by the adenosine receptor antagonist 3-isobutyl-1-methyl xanthine (IBMX). NECA and R-PIA were found to reverse positive inotropic responses of left atria to the -adrenoceptor agonist, isoproterenol, but were less effective at reversing positive inotropic responses to the adenylate cyclase activator, forskolin, and were almost ineffective at reversing positive inotropic responses to a-adrenoceptor stimulation.Neither NECA nor R-PIA had a significant effect on basal CAMP levels or on CAMP levels elevated by isoproterenol in rabbit left atria. Similarly, R-PIA had no significant effect on basal cAMP levels or isoproterenol-induced increases in cAMP in the presence of adenosine deaminase to remove the influence of endogenous adenosine. Pretreatment of rabbits with 1.75 g/kg pertussis toxin attenuated both the direct negative inotropic response of left atria to NECA and responses to NECA in the presence of isoproterenol and forskolin to a similar extent. Pretreatment of left atrial preparations with the potassium channel antagonist 4-aminopyridine resulted in a dose dependent attenuation of responses to NECA alone and in the presence of isoproterenol and forskolin.These data suggest that adenosine receptors in rabbit left atria are not coupled to adenylate cyclase. Rather, both the direct negative inotropic response to adenosine analogues alone, and their reversal of positive inotropic responses to isoproterenol and forskolin may be mediated by increases in K⁺ conductance, which have been postulated to shorten the duration of the action potential and reduce the influx of Ca²⁺.Send offprint requests to K. M. MacLeod at the above address     

Potassium channel blockers differentially affect carbachol and (-)-N6-phenylisopropyladenosine on guinea-pig atria.

1. The effect of three different potassium channel blockers (tetraethylammonium, TEA; 4-aminopyridine, 4-AP; and apamin) and of variations in the concentration of K+ and Ca2+ in the medium, have been studied on the responses of guinea-pig isolated atria to (-)-N6-phenylisopropyladenosine (R-PIA), a stable adenosine A1-receptor agonist, and to carbachol, a muscarinic agonist. R-PIA and carbachol showed the same negative inotropic effects over a similar range of concentrations (3-300 microM), both in spontaneously beating and in electrically driven atria. 2. TEA (0.1 to 20 mM) and 4-AP (0.3 to 3 mM), both antagonized the negative inotropic and chronotropic effects of carbachol in a concentration-dependent manner. In contrast, these compounds failed to inhibit the effects induced by R-PIA. Apamin, a specific blocker of a low conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel, was ineffective in accordance with the absence of these channels in atrial tissue. 3. TEA (0.1 to 20mM) inhibited the negative inotropic effect of carbachol, but not that of R-PIA, in atria paced and depolarized by a high K+ medium (22 mM). In this preparation Na+ current is abolished and the contraction induced by noradrenaline and electrical stimulation is solely dependent on Ca2+ influx currents. 4. Stepwise addition of Ca2+ to a calcium-depleted perfusing medium of electrically driven atria, induced a positive inotropic effect which was inhibited by R-PIA. In contrast, carbachol had no effect. 5. In agreement with our previous study, the data suggest that R-PIA acts on isolated atria by inhibiting Ca2+ influx through L-channels.     

Blockade by 4-aminopyridine of the muscarinic-receptor-mediated responses of guinea-pig atria and trachea.

The potassium channel blocker 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) has been shown to antagonize the negative inotropic effects of muscarinic receptor agonists on atrial preparations. This is consistent with muscarinic agonists mediating their negative inotropy through the opening of potassium channels. In the present study, the possibility of a direct antagonism of the muscarinic receptor was examined by comparing the effects of 4-AP upon the responses to carbachol of isolated left atria (negative inotropy) and tracheal spirals (contraction) from reserpine pretreated guinea-pigs. The latter response is K+ channel-independent. The concentration-response curve for carbachol on the paced left atria was displaced 520-fold to the right by 4-AP (10 mM). 4-AP alone caused dose-related contractions of the tracheal spirals. Carbachol-induced contractions were, however, superimposed upon the raised tone and there were substantial rightwards shifts of the concentration-response curves of 4.7- and 31.4-fold by 1 and 10 mM of 4-AP, respectively. Thus 4-AP appears to have muscarinic receptor antagonistic blocking properties. The blockade of the atrial responses was, however, substantially greater and could be attributed to an additional blockade of muscarinic receptor-linked potassium channels. The negative inotropic responses of the A1-adenosine receptor agonist L-phenylisopropyladenosine (L-PIA) were also antagonized by 4-AP, but to a lesser extent than for carbachol. After allowing for the muscarinic receptor blocking activity of 4-AP, carbachol was still antagonized more effectively than L-PIA. This could be due to the presence of a K+ channel-independent component in the response to L-PIA which is not susceptible to 4-AP.     

The effects of streptozotocin-induced diabetes and aldose reductase inhibition with sorbinil, on left and right atrial function in the rat

Diabetes mellitus is frequently associated with the complications of cardiovascular disease. Activation of the aldose reductase (or polyol) pathway has long been implicated as an underlying factor for the development of many diabetic complications and indeed, treatment with aldose reductase inhibitors has been shown to prevent or reverse many of these diabetic complications. This study examines the effects of 14-day streptozotocin-induced diabetes on alpha1- and beta-adrenoceptor-mediated responses in rat isolated left and right atria. The effects of treatment with the aldose reductase inhibitor (ARI) sorbinil were also studied. A positive inotropic response was observed to both isoprenaline and phenylephrine in left atria. Diabetes of 14 days duration resulted in a supersensitivity of these tissues to the beta-adrenoceptor agonist in comparison with controls, while responses to the alpha1-adrenoceptor agonist were unaltered. Spontaneously beating right atria from diabetic rats was found to have a depressed resting rate compared with control tissues, although positive chronotropic beta-adrenoceptor-mediated responses were not affected by diabetes. Phenylephrine produced alpha1-adrenoceptor-mediated chronotropic responses in right atrial tissues, and these were found to be enhanced in rats with diabetes. Treatment of diabetic rats with the ARI sorbinil was successful in preventing only one of the observed diabetes-induced changes in atrial function, namely the supersensitivity of left atria to isoprenaline. Sorbinil treatment did, however, alter responses of control left and right atria in a manner similar to diabetes. In conclusion, streptozotocin-induced diabetes of 14 days duration was found to cause a number of alterations in the functioning of both left and right atria. ARI treatment with sorbinil failed to prevent all but one of these changes, and in addition altered responses of atria from control rats, having a similar effect to that produced by diabetes. These data suggest that sorbinil may have effects in addition to, and independent of, aldose reductase inhibition in the cardiovascular system.     

86Rubidium efflux and negative inotropy induced by P1- and muscarinic-receptor agonists in guinea-pig left atria. Effects of potassium channel blockers.

Guinea-pig isolated left atria, paced at 2 Hz were incubated with 86rubidium (86Rb) for 120 min. They were then washed every 2 min for 2 hr, each sample being retained for scintillation counting. Left atrial isometric tension was recorded simultaneously. A concentration-response curve for the muscarinic agonist carbachol or the P1-receptor agonists adenosine and L-N6-phenyl-isopropyladenosine (L-PIA) was obtained. Antagonists were present from 20 min before agonist exposure. The rate constant (k) for 86Rb efflux was calculated for each 2 min sample and the mean increase for each concentration of agonist determined. In the absence of drugs there was no significant alteration in the rate constant during the 2 hr experimental period. Adenosine, L-PIA and carbachol produced concentration-related increases in rate constant for 86Rb efflux. The adenosine and L-PIA concentration-response curves were virtually superimposed upon the curves for the negative inotropic responses. The 86Rb efflux induced by adenosine was antagonized in an apparently parallel manner by 8-phenyltheophylline (8-PT) indicating involvement of P1-receptors. Alone, the putative potassium channel blockers, 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) and bromobenzoylmethyladamantylamine (BMA) caused, respectively, no change and a reduction in resting 86Rb efflux immediately prior to the agonist exposure. 4-AP reduced the L-PIA- and adenosine-induced increases in 86Rb efflux and, to a lesser extent, the negative inotropic response to adenosine. BMA caused "flattening" of the dose-response curves for 86Rb efflux induced by L-PIA, adenosine and carbachol with a significant reduction in response at the highest concentrations of adenosine and carbachol. The negative inotropic response to adenosine was also reduced. These results suggest that 4-AP and BMA block the P1-receptor-linked potassium channels and that BMA interacts with common K+ channels linked to P1- and muscarinic receptors. The negative inotropic responses of the guinea-pig left atrium to P1- and muscarinic agonists can be attributed, at least in part, to the opening of outward K+ channels.     

Pertussis toxin sensitive and insensitive effects of adenosine and carbachol in murine atria overexpressing A(1)-adenosine receptors

1 It was investigated how A(1)-adenosine receptor overexpression alters the effects of carbachol on force of contraction and beating rate in isolated murine atria. Moreover, the influence of pertussis toxin on the inotropic and chronotropic effects of adenosine and carbachol in A(1)-adenosine receptor overexpressing atria was studied. 2 Adenosine and carbachol alone exerted negative inotropic and chronotropic effects in electrically driven left atrium or spontaneously beating right atrium of wild-type mice. 3 These effects were abolished or reversed by pre-treatment of animals with pertussis toxin which can interfere with signal transduction through G-proteins. 4 Adenosine and carbachol exerted positive inotropic but negative chronotropic effects in atrium overexpressing A(1)-adenosine receptors from transgenic mice. 5 The positive inotropic effects of adenosine and carbachol were qualitatively unaltered whereas the negative chronotropic effects were abolished or reversed in atrium overexpressing A(1)-adenosine receptors after pre-treatment by pertussis toxin. 6 Qualitatively similar effects for adenosine and carbachol were noted in the presence of isoprenaline, beta-adrenoceptor agonist. 7 It is concluded that overexpression of A(1)-adenosine receptors also affects the signal transduction of other heptahelical, G-protein coupled receptors like the M-cholinoceptor in the heart. The chronotropic but not the inotropic effects of adenosine and carbachol in transgenic atrium were mediated via pertussis toxin sensitive G-proteins.     

Specific antagonism by glibenclamide of negative inotropic effects of potassium channel openers in canine atrial muscle

The mode of antagonism by glibenclamide, a potassium channel blocker, of the negative inotropic effects of potassium channel openers, cromakalim, pinacidil and nicorandil, was investigated in canine atrial muscle. Glibenclamide shifted the concentration-negative inotropic effect curves for cromakalim, pinacidil and nicorandil to the right without affecting the basal force of contraction. Schild analysis yielded uniform pA2 values of 6.06-6.35 for glibenclamide against the three potassium channel openers. The force of contraction of atrial muscles previously reduced by cromakalim was also antagonized by increasing concentrations of glibenclamide. Glibenclamide affected neither the concentration-negative inotropic effect curves for carbachol, an opener of the muscarinic receptor-coupled potassium channel, nor those for nifedipine, a calcium channel blocker. From these results, it became evident that glibenclamide behaved as a pharmacological antagonist of cromakalim, pinacidil and nicorandil in cardiac inotropy. The antagonism seems to involve competition of glibenclamide and these potassium channel openers, presumably at the ATP-sensitive channel in canine right atrial muscles.     

Effects of sympathomimetic drugs on reptilian atrial muscles

The effects of some sympathomimetic drugs on isolated atria of rainbow lizards (Agama agama Linn.) and land tortoises (Kinixys spp. Linn.) have been examined. Noradrenaline, adrenaline, isoprenaline, phenylephrine or dopamine (10(-9)-10(-5) M) induced concentration-dependent positive chronotropic and inotropic responses in spontaneously-beating right- and electrically-driven left atria of rainbow lizards or tortoises. These catecholamines produced similar responses in guinea-pig isolated atria. Phentolamine or propranolol (10(-10)-10(-6) M) competitively antagonised the positive chronotropic and/or positive inotropic responses induced by these sympathomimetic agonists in these reptilian (and mammalian) atrial muscles; probably suggesting the presence of alpha- and/or beta-adrenoceptors in reptilian atrial muscles (as in the mammalian myocardium). It is suggested that in reptilian atrial muscles, only one adrenoceptor subtype which is capable of converting its properties to either alpha- or beta-, or even alpha- and beta-adrenoceptor subtypes (as in the frog heart) depending on the environmental temperature, may exist. The use of rainbow lizard and tortoise atrial muscle preparations as laboratory models for routine pharmacological evaluation of adrenergic drugs, particularly in developing tropical African countries where these cheap, harmless reptiles abound, is strongly recommended.     

Inverse agonist activities of beta-adrenoceptor antagonists in rat myocardium.

1. Negative inotropic effects of several beta-adrenoceptor (betaAR) antagonists on electrically-stimulated right atria, left atria, right ventricles and left ventricular papillary muscles from reserpine-treated rats were used as a measure of their inverse agonist activities. 2. Beta1AR antagonists acebutolol, atenolol and metoprolol, beta2AR antagonist ICI-181,551 and nonselective betaAR antagonists alprenolol, nadolol, propranolol and timolol produced negative inotropic effects, which were most marked on the right atria. 3. The nonselective betaAR antagonist pindolol did not exhibit inverse agonist activity but inhibited the negative inotropic activities of ICI-118,551, atenolol and propranolol. 4. The negative inotropic effects of lidocaine, nifedipine and pentobarbitone were similar on all the four myocardial preparations. 5. The positive inotropic efficacy of salbutamol on right and left atria but not on right ventricles and papillary muscles was comparable to that of isoprenaline. The antagonist activity of ICI-118,551 against isoprenaline was greater on right atria than on other cardiac regions. 6. Beta1AR proteins were expressed in all regions of the heart but of beta2AR were primarily localized in the right atrium. 7. It is concluded that beta2AR play a greater role in right atria than in other cardiac regions and almost all betaAR antagonists behave as inverse agonists.     

Pertussis toxin suppresses carbachol-evoked cardiodepression but does not modify cardiostimulation mediated through β1- and putative β4-adrenoceptors in mouse left atria: no evidence for β2- and β3-adrenoceptor function

Activation of beta1-, beta2-, beta 3- and putative beta4-adrenoceptors modifies cardiac function. These receptors are usually coupled to Gs protein, but beta2- and beta3-adrenoceptors could also couple to Gi/o proteins. The mouse heart is used increasingly for studies of genetically disrupted or overexpressed proteins, including beta-adrenoceptor subtypes. We therefore investigated in contracting mouse left atria (2 Hz, 37 degrees C) if inactivation of Gi/o proteins with pertussis toxin modifies or uncovers effects mediated through beta-adrenoceptor subtypes. The negative inotropic effects of carbachol in atria exposed to catecholamine or high calcium (6.8 mmol/l) were assumed to be mediated through activation of muscarinic receptors coupled to Gi/o. We report conditions under which incubation of left atria with 200 ng/ml pertussis toxin for 24 h nearly abolished the carbachol responses. Although it has been reported that muscarinic receptor-mediated cardiodepression has an obligatory contribution of nitric oxide, the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine (0.1-1 mmol/l) did not modify the negative inotropic effects of carbachol, inconsistent with an involvement of nitric oxide. The positive inotropic effects of (-)-noradrenaline and (-)-adrenaline, mediated through beta1-adrenoceptors, were not affected by pertussis toxin. (-)-Adrenaline did not cause positive inotropic effects attributable to beta2-adrenoceptor-mediation, in the presence of CGP 20712A (300 nmol/l) to block beta1-adrenoceptors, in control atria or atria pretreated with pertussis toxin. The positive inotropic effects of (-)-CGP 12177 (1 micromol/l), a compound with agonist activity at the putative beta4-adrenoceptor, were unaffected by pertussis toxin. The beta3-adrenoceptor-selective agonist BRL 37344 (1 micromol/l), in the presence of (-)-propranolol (200 nmol/l), did not cause positive or negative inotropic effects in control and pertussis toxin-treated atria. In left atria obtained from mice injected with 150 microg/kg i.p. pertussis toxin which abolished carbachol-evoked cardiode-pression, the positive inotropic effects of (-)-adrenaline were antagonised by CGP 20712A. The beta2-adrenoceptor-selective antagonist ICI 118551 (50 nmol/l) did not cause additional blockade of the effects of high (-)-adrenaline concentrations in the presence of CGP 20712A, ruling out the involvement of beta2-adrenoceptors. The results with intraparenteral PTX validate our in vitro PTX method. We conclude that inhibition of murine Gi/o proteins does not alter atrial positive inotropic effects mediated through beta1- and putative beta4-adrenoceptors and does not reveal functional beta2- and beta3-adrenoceptors.     

The effect of urapidil on cardiac alpha- and beta-adrenoceptors

In the present study the effects of the antihypertensive drug urapidil on cardiac adrenoceptors in various regions of the heart were analyzed. On the isolated rabbit papillary muscle urapidil was found to produce a competitive antagonism against the alpha 1-agonist phenylephrine with a pA2-value of 6.4 in the presence of the beta-antagonist sotalol (5 X 10(-5) mol/l). In the same preparation urapidil also antagonized the positive inotropic effects evoked by the beta-adrenoceptor agonist isoprenaline yielding a pA2-value of 5.9. An antagonism against the positive inotropic effect of isoprenaline with the same pA2-value could also be demonstrated in guinea pig left atria. For further characterization of urapidil its effect against the beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist fenoterol on the carbachol contracted tracheal chain of the guinea pig was investigated. A weak antagonism with a pA2-value of 4.9 was observed. Thus the beta 1-adrenolytic potency of urapidil was found to be about 10 times higher than the beta 2-adrenolytic one. On the isolated perfused rabbit heart urapidil inhibited the electrically evoked increase in heart rate by 27 and 63% in a concentration of 10(-6) and 10(-5) mol/l, respectively, whereas the stimulation induced noradrenaline release was increased by 25 and 51%. This rise in noradrenaline release by urapidil was antagonized by clonidine 10(-7) and 10(-6) mol/l. From these results it can be concluded that urapidil acts not only as an antagonist at cardiac alpha 1- and beta-adrenoceptors, but also on alpha 2-adrenoceptors located presynaptically. The antagonism at these receptors against endogenous noradrenaline leads to an enhanced transmitter release.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Interaction of potassium channel openers and blockers in canine atrial muscle.

1. The possibility that the interaction between potassium channel openers, e.g. cromakalim, pinacidil and nicorandil, and some potassium channel blockers involves a common site was investigated in canine atrial muscle. 2. Cromakalim, pinacidil and nicorandil produced a negative inotropic effect, their pD2 (-log EC50) values being 6.11 +/- 0.07, 5.37 +/- 0.09 and 4.55 +/- 0.07, respectively. 3. The potassium channel blockers, tetraethylammonium (TEA), tetrabutylammonium (TBA), 3,4-diaminopyridine (DAP), CsCl and BaCl2 all produced a positive inotropic effect. 4. The concentration-effect curves for the negative inotropic actions of pinacidil were shifted in a parallel way to the right by low concentrations of TEA, TBA or BaCl2. Maximum responses to pinacidil were depressed by higher concentrations of the blockers. An analysis of the non-competitive antagonism by TEA yielded pKA (-log KA) values of 4.00-4.05 for pinacidil. 5. The concentration-effect curves for cromakalim and nicorandil were shifted by TEA similarly to those for pinacidil, and a similar analysis yielded pKA values of 4.47-4.68 for cromakalim and 3.47-3.74 for nicorandil. 6. The KA values of cromakalim, pinacidil and nicorandil were about 10-30 times greater than their EC50 values, indicating that there are non-linear stimulus-effect relationships between the binding of the three potassium channel openers to their binding sites at potassium channels and their negative inotropic effects. 7. The dissociation constants for TEA could also be estimated from pA2 and pKB values for antagonizing competitively and non-competitively the negative inotropic effects of the three potassium channel openers; they were 3.47-3.89, and did not differ between the potassium channel openers. 8. The concentration-effect curves for the three potassium channel openers were not affected by DAP or CsCl. 9. These results suggest the following: (i) quaternary ammonium compounds like TEA and TBA antagonize the negative inotropic effect of cromakalim, pinacidil and nicorandil by binding to potassium channels, thus preventing binding of the channel openers to the same sites or closely related sites in canine right atrial muscles.     

Calcium channel subtypes for the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves of guinea-pig atria.

1. The Ca2+ channel subtypes of the autonomic nerves of guinea-pig atria were elucidated by monitoring the effects of specific Ca2+ channel blockers on the negative and positive inotropic responses associated respectively, with stimulation of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves. 2. In left atria paced at 2-4 Hz, the negative inotropic effect induced by field stimulation of parasympathetic nerves (in the presence of propranolol) was abolished by omega-conotoxin MVIIC, a blocker of N-type and OPQ subfamily Ca2+ channels. omega-Conotoxin GVIA (an N-type blocker), omega-agatoxin IVA (a P-type blocker), nifedipine (an L-type blocker) and Ni2+ (a T- and R-type blocker) were much less effective. 3. The positive inotropic response resulting from field stimulation of the sympathetic nerves (in the presence of atropine) was abolished by both omega-conotoxins, while omega-agatoxin IVA, nifedipine and Ni2+ were ineffective. 4. In the spontaneously beating right atria, the early negative inotropic effect produced by 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium was abolished by omega-conotoxin MVIIC, whereas the late positive inotropic effect was partially reduced, but not abolished, by a high concentration of omega-conotoxin GVIA. 5. None of the peptide toxins affected the chronotropic and the inotropic responses evoked by carbachol and isoprenaline. 6. These results suggested that, under physiological conditions, the release of acetylcholine from parasympathetic nerves is dominated by an OPQ subfamily Ca2+ channel while that of noradrenaline from sympathetic nerves is controlled by an N-type Ca2+ channel. Ligand-induced noradrenaline release appeared to recruit additional type(s) of Ca2+ channel.     

The use of functional antagonism to determine whether beta-adrenoceptor agonists must have a lower efficacy than isoprenaline to be trachea-atria selective in vitro in guinea-pigs.

1 The relative efficacies of three trachea-atria selective beta-adrenoceptor agonists, fenoterol, Me 506 and Me 454, compared to isoprenaline, were determined on both trachea and atria of guinea-pigs. 2 On tracheal preparations the beta-adrenoceptor agonists were used as functional antagonists of carbachol and a comparison of the maximum shifts in the carbachol concentration-response line produced by each of the beta-adrenoceptor agonists provided a comparison of their efficacies. 3 On atrial preparations carbachol was used as a functional antagonist of the beta-adrenoceptor agonists and comparison of the maximum responses to the beta-adrenoceptor agonists in the presence of carbachol provided a comparison of their efficacies. 4 On trachea and atria the order of efficacy of the compounds was Me454 greater than Me506 greater than or equal to isoprenaline=fenoterol. 5. The results indicated that high efficacy in a non-catechol beta-adrenoceptor agonist is possible provided there is a favourable N-substituent group. 6 Since Me 454, Me 506 and fenoterol, which are trachea-atria selective, have effficacies equal to or greater than that of isoprenaline, which is non-selective, it is concluded that low efficacy in a compound is not essential for it to show trachea-atria selectivity in vitro in guinea-pigs.     

Modulation of contractile force by endothelin receptors in porcine myocardial trabeculae

The aim of the study was to determine possible inotropic effects mediated by endothelin-A and endothelin-B receptors in porcine myocardial trabeculae from right atria and left ventricles. Isolated trabeculae were paced at 1.5 Hz in tissue baths, and changes in isometric contractile force upon exposure to agonist were studied. Endothelin-1 and endothelin-3 had a strong and potent positive inotropic effect in all trabeculae. In all atrial and in some ventricular trabeculae this effect was preceded by a transient negative inotropic effect at 10(-7) M. The endothelin-B receptor agonist IRL 1620 had a positive inotropic effect in some of the ventricular trabeculae, and no negative inotropic effect. Another endothelin-B receptor agonist, sarafotoxin S6c, had no positive inotropic effect, but induced a transient negative inotropic effect in some atrial trabeculae at 10(-7) M. In atrial trabeculae the preincubation with the endothelin-A receptor antagonist FR139317 (10(-6) M) decreased significantly (P<0.01) the maximum positive inotropic responses and abolished negative inotropic responses to endothelin-1. In conclusion, both endothelin-A and endothelin-B receptors may have the potential to mediate both positive and negative inotropic responses, but a positive inotropic effect mediated mainly via endothelin-A receptors seems to predominate.     

DISEASE-INDUCED CHANGES IN α-ADRENOCEPTOR-MEDIATED CARDIAC AND VASCULAR RESPONSES IN RATS

1. The physiological relevance of cardiac and vascular α-adrenoceptors may increase in disease states in which β-adrenoceptors are altered. To test this, positive inotropic and vasoconstrictor responses to phenylephrine were measured in isolated tissues from rats with experimentally-induced hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism and diabetes as well as in genetically spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR). 2. In left atria, positive inotropic responses to phenylephrine were increased in hypothyroid and diabetic rats and abolished in hyperthyroid and SHR. 3. In contrast, phenylephrine produced increased positive inotropy in left ventricular papillary muscles from hyperthyroid rats, increased potency in diabetic rats and negative inotropic responses in hypothyroid rats. 4. The potency of phenylephrine as a vasoconstrictor in thoracic aortic rings was increased in hyperthyroid and SHR and decreased in hypothyroid rats. 5. Thus, disease states which alter β-adrenoceptor responsiveness can independently regulate atrial, ventricular and vascular responses to the α₁-adrenoceptor agonist, phenylephrine. Therefore, these disease states may alter the physiological control of the cardiovascular system by noradrenaline and adrenaline as well as the responsiveness in disease states to therapeutic agents acting via α-adrenoceptors.     

The beta-adrenoceptor stimulant properties of OPC-2009 on guinea-pig isolated tracheal, right atrial and left atrial preparations.

1. The beta-adrenoceptor stimulant properties of 5-(1-hydroxy-2-isopropylaminobutyl)-8-hydroxy-carbostyril hydrochloride hemihydrate (OPC-2009) were compared with those of isoprenaline and salbutamol on guinea-pig isolated tissues. 2. In producing tracheal relaxation, OPC-2009 was approximately 7 times more potent and salbutamol 5 times less potent than isoprenaline. Both compounds were less potent than isoprenaline in increasing either the rate of beating of isolated right atria or the contractile force of left atria, OPC-2009 being 4 and 127 times and salbutamol being 100 and 700 times less potent on the respective preparations. 3. Selectivity calculated from EC50 ratio indicates that OPC-2009 was approximately 26 times and salbutamol approximately 21 times more selective than isoprenaline for tracheal smooth muscle as compared to right atrial muscle, whereas OPC-2009 was approximately 850 times and salbutamol 140 times more selective than isoprenaline for tracheal smooth muscle as compared to left atria. 4. The responses to OPC-2009 on trachea and right atria were not altered by treatment of animals with reserpine 24 h previously. Propranolol was a competitive antagonist of OPC-2009 on these tissues. 5. OPC-2009 at high concentrations competitively antagonized the positive chronotropic and inotropic responses to isoprenaline, indicating that OPC-2009 like salbutamol, may be classified as a partial agonist. 6. The results indicate that the action of OPC-2009 is more selective for tracheal smooth muscle than cardiac muscle and are interpreted in the light of subdivisions of beta-adrenoceptors.