Coupling of muscarinic receptors to adenylate cyclase in the rabbit myocardium: effects of receptor inactivation

The relationship between muscarinic receptor occupancy and adenylate cyclase inhibition was investigated in homogenates of the rabbit myocardium. The highly efficacious muscarinic agonist oxotremorine-M caused half-maximal inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity at a concentration (Ki) that was 10-fold smaller than that required for half-maximal receptor occupancy in the presence of 0.1 mM GTP (D50-GTP) as measured by competitive displacement of the binding [3H]N-methylscopolamine. In contrast, there was much closer agreement between the Ki and D50-GTP of the less efficacious oxotremorine analog BM5 [N-methyl-N-(1-methyl-4-pyrrolidino-2-butynyl)acetamide]. By comparing equal levels of adenylate cyclase inhibition before and after partial inactivation of muscarinic receptors with benzilycholine mustard, it was possible to estimate the dissociation constants (KA) of the oxotremorine analogs. There was good agreement between KA and D50-GTP and also between the degree of receptor inactivation determined pharmacologyically and that estimated by measurements of the binding of [3H]N-methylscopolamine.     

Gallamine allosterically antagonizes muscarinic receptor-mediated inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity in the rat myocardium

The ability of gallamine to modify muscarinic receptor binding properties and to antagonize muscarinic receptor-mediated inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity was investigated in the rat myocardium. Gallamine caused parallel shifts to the right in the dose-response curves for inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity by the highly efficacious muscarinic agonist oxotremorine-M and the partial agonist Bm 5 [N-methyl-N-(1-methyl-4-pyrrolidino)-2-butynyl acetamide]. The nature of this effect was inconsistent with competitive inhibition, but could be explained by allosteric antagonism. Similar dissociation constants of 0.52 and 0.83 microM were estimated for gallamine on the basis of its ability to antagonize responses to oxotremorine-M and Bm 5, respectively. The maximum shift in the dose-response curve of Bm 5 caused by gallamine was 90-fold, whereas that of oxotremorine-M was only 49-fold. When measured by inhibition of the binding of the specific muscarinic antagonist [3H]N-methylscopolamine, the dissociation constant of gallamine was estimated to be 1.1 microM. The present results illustrate good agreement between the ability of gallamine to modify muscarinic receptor binding properties and to antagonize muscarinic receptor-mediated inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity in the rat heart.     

Coupling of subtypes of the muscarinic receptor to adenylate cyclase in the corpus striatum and heart

The binding properties of a series of muscarinic antagonists were compared with their ability to antagonize muscarinic receptor mediated inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity in homogenates of the corpus striatum and heart of rats. When measured by the competitive inhibition of the binding of the muscarinic antagonist N-[3H]methylscopolamine, the binding properties of selective muscarinic antagonists in the corpus stratum and cerebral cortex were consistent with a model incorporating a minimum of three populations of muscarinic receptors, a high affinity site for pirenzepine (M1), a high affinity site for AF-DX 116 [11] [2-[ (diethylamino)methyl]-1-piperidinyl] acetyl] -5, 11-dihydro-6H-pyrido [2,3-b] 1,4] benzodiazepine-6-one (M2) and a third population (non-Ml, non-M2 sites) displaying low affinity for the latter antagonists. The results of similar experiments on the heart showed that this tissue contained a uniform population of M2 muscarinic receptors. The binding properties of the M2 receptor in cerebral cortex and corpus stratum were also investigated directly in antagonist [3H] AF-DX 116 competition experiments and, although the high affinity AF-DX 116 site in brain (M2) exhibited selectivity for the cardioselective antagonists AF-DX 116 and gallamine, some differences were noted between M2 sites in brain and heart. The muscarinic adenylate cyclase response in the corpus striatum was relatively insensitive to the M2 selective antagonists AF-DX 116 and gallamine as well as the M1 selective antagonist pirenzepine, suggesting that non-M1, non-M2 sites inhibit adenylate cyclase activity in the corpus striatum. In contrast, the effects of muscarinic antagonists on the muscarinic adenylate cyclase response in the heart were consistent with the postulate that M2 receptors inhibit adenylate cyclase activity in this tissue.     

Irreversible and quaternary muscarinic antagonists discriminate multiple muscarinic receptor binding sites in rat brain

The maximal number of binding sites (Bmax) of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) binding was greater than the Bmax of N-[3H]methylscopolamine (NMS) binding to homogenates of rat brain. The competition of NMS for [3H]QNB demonstrated that NMS discriminates multiple muscarinic binding sites. Similarly, pirenzepine competition of [3H]QNB binding also revealed multiple muscarinic binding sites. Pirenzepine competition for [3H]NMS also was shallow and demonstrated the presence of binding sites with similar affinities to those labeled by [3H]QNB. These data were consistent with the presence of at least three populations of muscarinic binding sites with similar affinities for [3H]QNB: the M1 and M2 binding sites having high and low affinity for pirenzepine, respectively, but which cannot be discriminated by [3H]NMS, and a third site with high affinity for [3H]QNB which has low affinity for NMS. The classical muscarinic antagonists, atropine and scopolamine, also appear to have slightly different affinities for the putative M1 and M2 binding sites. The use of the irreversible antagonists, N-ethoxycarbonyl-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ) and propylbenzilylcholine mustard (PBCM), were used to elucidate the distinct properties of these multiple muscarinic binding sites. Both PBCM and EEDQ irreversibly decreased the Bmax of [3H]QNB and [3H]NMS binding in cortex. PBCM did not appear to discriminate putative M1 and M2 binding sites but selectively alkylated the high affinity NMS and QNB binding sites. In contrast, EEDQ modified the low affinity NMS binding sites such that they still bound [3H]QNB but their affinity for other muscarinic antagonists was reduced.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Impaired cardiac muscarinic receptor function in dogs with heart failure.

Prior physiological studies have suggested that parasympathetic control is altered in heart failure. The goal of our studies was to investigate the influence of heart failure on the muscarinic receptor, and its coupling to adenylate cyclase. Ligand binding studies using [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate and enriched left ventricular (LV) sarcolemma, demonstrated that muscarinic receptor density in heart failure declined 36% from a control of 5.6 +/- 0.6 pmol/mg, with no change in antagonist affinity. However, agonist competition studies with both carbachol and oxotremorine showed that it was a loss of high affinity agonist binding sites in the sarcolemma from failing LV that accounted for this difference. The functional efficacy of the muscarinic receptor was also examined. When 1 microM methacholine was added to 0.1 mM GTP and 0.1 mM isoproterenol, adenylate cyclase stimulated activity was inhibited by 15% in normal LV but only 5% in LV sarcolemma from animals with heart failure even when the reduced adenylate cyclase in these heart failure animals was taken into account. Even at 100-fold greater concentrations of methacholine, significantly less inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity was observed in LV failure as compared with normal LV sarcolemma. Levels of the GTP-inhibitory protein known to couple the muscarinic receptor to adenylate cyclase, as measured with pertussis toxin labeling, were not depressed in LV failure. Thus, the inhibitory pathway regulating LV adenylate cyclase activity is defective in heart failure. The decrease in muscarinic receptor density, and in particular the specific loss of the high affinity agonist binding component of this receptor population, appears to be the major factor underlying this abnormality.     

Characterization of D-2 dopamine receptors in a tumor of the rat anterior pituitary gland

Dopamine receptors in the 7315a transplantable rat anterior pituitary tumor were characterized using radioligand binding assays with [3H]spiroperidol ([3H]SPD) and assays of adenylate cyclase activity. Scatchard analysis of the binding of [3H]SPD yielded linear plots and a Kd value of 73 pM. Studies of the inhibition of the binding of [3H]SPD were performed with a series of competing ligands, including the antagonists domperidone, (+)-butaclamol and sulpiride and the agonists dopamine, bromocriptine and N-propylnorapomorphine. Inhibition curves for the antagonists gave Hill coefficients of approximately 1, consistent with the presence of only a single class of binding sites with a high affinity for [3H]SPD. In contrast, the Hill coefficient for dopamine was significantly less than 1. When assays were carried out in the presence of 300 microM GTP, the inhibition curve for dopamine was shifted to the right and the Hill coefficient increased to approximately 1. An effect of GTP on the affinity of a receptor for agonists is consistent with the existence of at least two agonist affinity states. Inhibition of the binding of [3H]SPD by the partial agonist bromocriptine was not affected when assays were carried out in the presence of GTP. The uniform low affinity of the selective serotonin antagonist ketanserin for these sites indicated that the radioligand was not labeling serotonin-2 receptors in this tissue. A good correlation was observed between the Ki values for competing ligands measured in the tumor and in homogenates of rat striatal tissue. Dopamine was shown to inhibit forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Analysis of cardiac muscarinic receptors recognized selectively by nonquaternary but not by quaternary ligands

Three muscarinic receptor antagonists, [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]QNB), N-[3H]methylscopolamine ([3H]NMS and N-[methyl-3H]QNB ([3H]NMeQNB), each bind to an apparently homogeneous population of receptors on intact chick heart cells. [3H]QNB binds to approximately 9500 sites/cells, whereas [3H]NMS and [3H]NMeQNB bind to approximately 5000 sites/cell. Atropine and scopolamine compete with all three radioligands with a single, high affinity. Their quaternary analogs N-methylatropine and NMS and the quaternary agonist carbachol also show a single affinity for [3H]NMS and [3H]NMeQNB binding sites, but have biphasic competition curves for [3H]QNB sites with low "apparent" affinity for a subpopulation of sites. When 10 nM or greater propylbenzilylcholine mustard is used to alkylate receptors virtually all [3H]NMS binding is abolished, whereas [3H]QNB still labels a significant fraction of the binding sites seen in control cells. The sites with low apparent affinity for quaternary ligands are shown to have characteristics of muscarinic receptors, but do not appear necessary for muscarinic receptor-mediated phosphoinositide hydrolysis. We suggest that a subpopulation of nonfunctional muscarinic receptors are sequestered within the membrane or otherwise inaccessible to hydrophilic or charged ligands.     

Multiple in vitro interactions with and differential in vivo regulation of muscarinic receptor subtypes by tetrahydroaminoacridine

Tetrahydroaminoacridine (THA) is known to be a potent centrally acting cholinesterase inhibitor. In this report, the effects of THA in vivo and in vitro on the binding of muscarinic agonists and antagonists to putative M1 and M2 receptor subtypes were assessed in rat brain membranes. THA competitively inhibited labeled agonist and antagonist binding to membranes prepared from M1 and M2 enriched brain regions. The dissociation of radiolabeled antagonists from muscarinic receptors was decelerated markedly by THA. The half-time for dissociation of [3H]oxotremorine-M from the high affinity state of M1 and M2 receptors was unaffected by THA. Chronic THA administration resulted in a selective down regulation in the number of M1 receptors assayed directly with the M1-selective antagonist, [3H]pirenzepine. The decrease in the binding capacity of [3H]pirenzepine was correlated positively with the duration of drug treatment. Saturation analysis of [3H]pirenzepine binding confirmed that this loss in binding capacity was due to a reduction in the number of binding sites and not an altered affinity of the receptor for [3H]pirenzepine. Carbachol-[3H]pirenzepine competition revealed no change in the ratio of high and low affinity agonist states of the M1 receptor with chronic THA administration. In vivo studies demonstrate further that the total number of muscarinic receptors was decreased significantly, whereas putative M2 receptors, measured directly with the agonist [3H]oxotremorine-M or estimated by pirenzepine-[3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate competition, were unchanged. Thus, THA exhibits multiple actions at primary and secondary recognition sites on putative M1 and M2 subclasses of muscarinic receptors. The results suggest further that the clinical pharmacology of THA may represent a composite efficacy of THA at multiple sites on cholinergic synapses.     

Influence of ligand choice on the apparent binding profile of gallamine to cardiac muscarinic receptors. Identification of three main types of gallamine-muscarinic receptor interactions

The binding profile of the positively charged muscarinic antagonist, gallamine, was studied in rat heart homogenates. A proportion of the binding sites labeled by the tertiary muscarinic ligands [( 3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) and [3H]atropine) were inaccessible to their quaternary analogs [( 3H]N-methyl-QNB (NMeQNB) and [3H]-N-methylscopolamine (NMS)] or gallamine. Whereas gallamine displaced the binding of [3H]NMeQNB with high affinity, biphasic competition curves were observed using [3H]NMS only at higher ligand concentrations. The rank order of potency of gallamine in allosterically decelerating ligand dissociation kinetics was: [3H]NMS greater than [3H]atropine greater than [3H]NMeQNB greater than [3H]QNB. Our calculations demonstrate that the displayed heterogeneity of gallamine binding sites detected using [3H]NMS, but not the tertiary ligands, might be accounted for by the allosteric modification of the binding of this ligand by gallamine. Based on these findings, the exhibited binding profile of gallamine to muscarinic receptors is influenced strongly by ligand choice, and also by the ligand concentration used in the binding experiment. Furthermore, it is concluded that gallamine binds to three major sites on the muscarinic receptor, thereby revealing an apparent heterogeneity of its binding sites, even in a tissue which presumably possesses one major muscarinic receptor subtype such as the heart. According to several lines of evidence, gallamine binds competitively and with high affinity to NMS-accessible sites on the receptor. Under certain experimental conditions, it also appears to identify another low-affinity site, either due to its binding to NMS-inaccessible sites or through its differential ability to alter the binding of ligands to the main binding domain on the receptor in an allosteric fashion.     

Evidence for an agonist-induced, ATP-dependent change in muscarinic receptors of intact 1321N1 cells

The binding of muscarinic agonists, partial agonists and antagonists to muscarinic receptors of intact 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells and of cell lysates was studied. Partial agonists and antagonists exhibited similar apparent affinities in intact cell competition binding assays with either the lipophilic radioligand [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate [( 3H]QNB) or the hydrophilic radioligand [3H]N-methyl scopolamine [( 3H]NMS). In contrast, full agonists exhibited markedly lower apparent affinities in intact cell competition binding assays with [3H]QNB than with [3H]NMS. The affinities of agonists and antagonists in competition for [3H] NMS binding to intact cells were slightly higher than those observed in competitions for [3H]QNB binding in cell lysates. In contrast, the affinities of agonists in competition for [3H]QNB binding to intact cells were considerably lower than those in competition for [3H]QNB binding in cell lysates. Treatment of cells with antimycin A to deplete intracellular ATP prevented agonist-induced internalization of muscarinic receptors as assessed by sucrose density gradient assays of receptor subcellular distribution. In ATP-depleted cells, the apparent affinities of full agonists vs. [3H]QNB were markedly higher and were similar to their apparent affinities vs. [3H]QNB in cell lysates. The apparent affinities of partial agonists and of antagonists were unaffected by ATP depletion. ATP depletion decreased slightly the apparent affinity of the full agonist carbachol in competition for [3H]NMS binding to intact cells, whereas the apparent affinity of atropine was unchanged. These results provide evidence for an agonist-specific, ATP-dependent low affinity state of intact cell muscarinic receptors that may be similar to those observed previously for both beta and alpha-1 adrenergic receptors and that may be related to receptor internalization/sequestration.     

Human eosinophil major basic protein is an endogenous allosteric antagonist at the inhibitory muscarinic M2 receptor.

The effect of human eosinophil major basic protein (MBP) as well as other eosinophil proteins, on binding of [3H]N-methyl-scopolamine ([3H]NMS: 1 x 10(-10) M) to muscarinic M2 receptors in heart membranes and M3 receptors in submandibular gland membranes was studied. MBP inhibited specific binding of [3H]NMS to M2 receptors but not to M3 receptors. MBP also inhibited atropine-induced dissociation of [3H]NMS-receptor complexes in a dose-dependent fashion, demonstrating that the interaction of MBP with the M2 muscarinic receptor is allosteric. This effect of MBP suggests that it may function as an endogenous allosteric inhibitor of agonist binding to the M2 muscarinic receptor. Inhibition of [3H]NMS binding by MBP was reversible by treatment with heparin, which binds and neutralizes MBP. Eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) also inhibited specific binding of [3H]NMS to M2 receptors but not to M3 receptors and inhibited atropine-induced dissociation of [3H]NMS-receptor complexes. On a molar basis, EPO is less potent than MBP. Neither eosinophil cationic protein nor eosinophil-derived neurotoxin affected binding of [3H]NMS to M2 receptors. Thus both MBP and EPO are selective allosteric antagonists at M2 receptors. The effects of these proteins may be important causes of M2 receptor dysfunction and enhanced vagally mediated bronchoconstriction in asthma.     

Specific inhibition of isoproterenol-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation by M2 muscarinic receptors in rat intestinal smooth muscle.

The ability of oxotremorine-M to inhibit cyclic AMP accumulation in the presence of a variety of adenylate cyclase activators was studied in slices from the longitudinal muscle of the rat ileum. Oxotremorine-M was found to inhibit forskolin- and isoproterenol-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation maximally by 17 and 32%, respectively, but not the stimulation due to other activators of adenylate cyclase. Inhibition of cyclic AMP accumulation by oxotremorine-M was unaffected by tetrodotoxin and was completely reversed by atropine. AF-DX 116 (11[[2-[(diethylamino)methyl]-1- piperidynyl]acetyl]-5,11-dihydro-6H-pyrido[2,3- b][1,4]benzodiazepine-6-one) an M2-selective antagonist, shifted the oxotremorine-M dose-response curve to the right with a dissociation constant (KB) of 0.20 microM, consistent with the dissociation constants for binding at the M2 muscarinic receptor site (KD = 0.092 microM) and inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity (KB = 0.13 microM). Hexahydrosiladifenidol, an M3-selective antagonist, shifted the oxotremorine-M dose-response curve to the right with a dissociation constant of 0.67 microM, again consistent with the dissociation constant for binding at the M2 site (KD = 0.83 microM). The agreement between the estimates of the dissociation constants of muscarinic antagonists for binding and for inhibition of cyclic AMP accumulation suggest that oxotremorine-M inhibition of isoproterenol-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation in slices of rat intestinal smooth muscle is mediated by the M2 receptor.     

Reciprocal modulation of agonist and antagonist binding to A1 adenosine receptors by guanine nucleotides is mediated via a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein

In the present study, we have characterized the effects of guanine nucleotides on agonist and antagonist binding to A1 adenosine receptors, which mediate inhibition of adenylate cyclase via the inhibitory G protein (Gi) in adipocytes. Our data indicate that guanosine-triphosphate (GTP) and guanyl-5'-yl imidodiphosphate (Gpp(NH)p) enhance the binding of 8-(4-[(([(2-amino-ethyl)amino]carbonyl) methyl)oxyl]phenyl)-1,3-dipropylxanthine ([3H]XAC) to adipocyte membranes in a dose-dependent manner, with EC50 values being 1.8 and 2.2 microM, respectively. The stimulatory effect of GTP was abolished in pertussis toxin-intoxicated membranes, implying a role of a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein in mediating this effect. Furthermore, the ranked order of efficacy for a series of guanine nucleotides to enhance [3H]XAC binding was GTP = Gpp(NH)p greater than GDP greater than GDP beta S = cGMP, which paralleled their ability to inhibit forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. Saturation isotherms performed in the absence and presence of GTP and Gpp(NH)p indicate that the guanine nucleotide decreased the equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) but had no effect on the maximal binding (Bmax) of [3H]XAC. In contrast, Gpp(NH)p decreased agonist binding as manifested by a decrease in the percentage of A1 adenosine receptors in the agonist high affinity state (from 81% to 27%) without changing the high (KH) and low (KL) affinity constants. Kinetic experiments conducted to assess the effect of guanine nucleotide on [3H]XAC binding parameters demonstrate that Gpp(NH)p enhanced the observed rate of association (Kobs) of the radioligand with the receptor by 2-fold but had no effect on the rate of dissociation (K-1) of the radioligand-receptor complex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Modulation of muscarinic cholinergic receptor affinity for antagonists in rat heart

Modulation of the affinity of agonists and antagonists at muscarinic cholinergic receptors in rat heart membranes was investigated using the radiolabeled antagonist, [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]QNB), and the radiolabeled agonist, [methyl-3H]oxotremorine acetate ([3H]OXO). Receptor affinity for oxotremorine measured in competition binding assays with [3H]QNB or by equilibrium binding of [3H]OXO was increased when the incubation temperature was reduced to 4 degrees C. In contrast, the receptor affinity for [3H]QNB was decreased at lower incubation temperatures and a marked effect of guanine nucleotides on the affinity for [3H]QNB was revealed. Guanine nucleotides increased receptor affinity for [3H]QNB without changing the total number of binding sites. The GTP-induced increase in the affinity for [3H]QNB was reflected by an increase in the rate constant for association of [3H]QNB. At subsaturating ligand concentrations, guanine nucleotides increased [3H]QNB binding and decreased [3H]OXO binding with the same order of potency: GppNHp = GTP gamma S greater than GTP greater than guanosine 5'-diphosphate greater than GMP. Free Mg++ ion was required to observe guanine nucleotide effects on antagonist binding. Pretreatment of heart membranes with N-ethyl-maleimide increased [3H]QNB affinity and blocked the effects of guanine nucleotides. N-Ethylmaleimide also decreased [3H]OXO binding and increased [3H]QNB binding with a similar concentration-effect relationship. Thus, antagonist and agonist binding to muscarinic cholinergic receptors is modulated in a reciprocal manner by a number of factors; this modulation appears to reflect interaction of agonist and antagonist-occupied receptors with a guanine nucleotide regulatory protein, Ni.     

Muscarinic stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity of rat olfactory bulb. I. Analysis of agonist sensitivity

In rat olfactory bulb, stimulation of muscarinic receptors activates adenylate cyclase. In the present study we have examined a variety of muscarinic receptor stimulants to characterize the agonist profile of this response. Analysis of agonist concentration-response curves revealed the following rank order of potency: oxotremorine-M greater than oxotremorine greater than BM5 greater than acetylcholine greater than carbachol = methacholine greater than (+/-)muscarine greater than arecoline greater than pilocarpine greater than RS 86 greater than McN-A-343 greater than bethanechol. Acetylcholine, oxotremorine-M, carbachol, (+/-)muscarine and metacholine behaved as full agonists, whereas the other stimulants displayed lower efficacies. The slope values of the concentration-response curves were close or equal to 1, except those of the carbachol and pilocarpine curves, which showed values significantly lower than 1. Moreover, the slope of the pilocarpine curve was differentially changed by the M1 antagonist pirenzepine and the M2 antagonist AF-DX 116. The agonist profile of the muscarinic stimulation of adenylate cyclase in the olfactory bulb correlated well with that exhibited by the muscarinic inhibition of the enzyme activity in the striatum, suggesting that the two responses are mediated by a similar receptor subtype. Sodium ion modulated the agonist affinity for both adenylate cyclase-coupled receptor systems.     

Differences in the properties of muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the developing chick myocardium

The number of muscarinic cholinergic receptors detected with [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) was constant in embryonic chick heart membranes but increased 2.5-fold by 3 days posthatching; the KD for [3H]QNB did not change. The affinities of the muscarinic receptors for agonists, as determined in in vitro [3H]QNB competition experiments, differed during development. The IC50 values were lowest for 10- to 14-day embryonic heart receptors, intermediate for 18- to 20-day embryonic receptors and highest for 3- to 7-day newborn heart receptors. These apparent differences in agonist affinity were not overcome by guanine nucleotides or monovalent cations alone, but were greatly diminished in the presence of a combination of guanylylimidodiphosphate plus NH4+. Modeling of [3H]QNB/oxotremorine competition curves indicated the presence of three agonist affinity states in membranes from embryonic heart and two in newborn hearts. The KD values for oxotremorine increased during development. The proportion of receptors displaying the highest affinity for oxotremorine was constant at all ages tested whereas the proportion displaying the lowest affinity decreased from 16% in membranes from 12-day embryonic hearts to zero in newborn hearts. The physiological significance of the differences in the properties of the receptors was investigated by assessing their ability to attenuate adenylate cyclase. The efficacy of agonists to attenuate basal adenylate cyclase increased 1.5-fold after birth, whereas the potency of agonists to produce this effect was similar at all ages tested.     

Influence of tissue integrity on pharmacological phenotypes of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the rat cerebral cortex

Distinct pharmacological phenotypes of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) have been proposed. We compared the pharmacological profiles of mAChRs in intact segments and homogenates of rat cerebral cortex and other tissues by using radioligand binding assays with [(3)H]N-methylscopolamine ([(3)H]NMS). Recombinant M(1) and M(3) mAChRs were also examined. The density of mAChRs detected by [(3)H]NMS binding to rat cerebral cortex segments and homogenates was the same (approximately 1400 fmol/mg tissue protein), but the dissociation constant of [(3)H]NMS was significantly different (1400-1700 pM in segments and 260 pM in homogenates). A wide variation in [(3)H]NMS binding affinity was also observed among the segments of other tissues (ranging from 139 pM in urinary bladder muscle to 1130 pM in the hippocampus). The mAChRs of cerebral cortex were composed of M(1), M(2), M(3), and M(4) subtypes, which showed typical subtype pharmacology in the homogenates. However, in the cortex segments the M(3) subtype showed a low selectivity for M(3) antagonists (darifenacin, solifenacin) and was not distinguished by the M(3) antagonists from the other subtypes. Recombinant M(1) and M(3) mAChRs showed high affinity for [(3)H]NMS and subtype-specific pharmacology for each tested ligand. The present binding study under conditions where tissue integrity was kept demonstrates a wide variation in [(3)H]NMS binding affinity among mAChRs of many rat tissues and the presence of an atypical M(3) phenotype in the cerebral cortex, suggesting that the pharmacological properties of mAChRs are not necessarily constant, rather they may be significantly modified by tissue integrity and tissue type.     

Action of adenosine in estrogen-primed nonpregnant guinea pig myometrium: characterization of the smooth muscle receptor and coupling to phosphoinositide metabolism.

The smooth muscle of guinea pig uterus is contracted by adenosine in a manner consistent with the presence of a purine nucleoside receptor of the P1-A1 subtype that is uncoupled from adenylate cyclase. Here we investigate the signal transduction mechanism responsible for adenosine's ability to contract uterine smooth muscle. The A1 adenosine receptor antagonist [3H]-8-cyclopentyl-1.3- dipropyl xanthine ([3H]CPX) bound reversibly to a large number (172 +/- 25 fmol/mg of protein) of receptors in myometrial smooth muscle membranes from estrogen-primed virgin guinea pigs with an affinity (KD = 1.77 +/- 0.21 nM) similar to that expected of [3H]CPX binding to both central and peripheral A1 receptors. In the absence of the stable GTP analog, guanosine-5'-O-[3-thiotriphosphate], agonist competition of [3H]CPX binding resulted in a biphasic curve that was best fit assuming the presence of equal populations of two affinity states of the receptor. Addition of guanosine-5'-O-[3-thiotriphosphate] (10 microM) resulted in a monophasic competition curve of low affinity suggesting coupling of this A1 receptor to effector via a GTP binding protein. In [3H]myo-inositol labeled strips of myometrial smooth muscle, the adenosine agonist R-phenylisopropyl adenosine (R-PIA) stimulated the rapid formation of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) that was antagonized by addition of the nucleoside receptor antagonist 8-sulfophenyl theophylline. Prostaglandin stimulation of myometrial strips also increased InsP3 formation. Furthermore, R-PIA stimulated the disappearance of inositol phosphate (InsP) in a fashion consistent with agonist stimulation of an inositol phosphatase activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Assay of dopamine receptors with [alpha-3H]flupenthixol

Two major classes of dopamine receptors, called D-1 receptors and D-2 receptors, have been identified. [alpha-3H]Flupenthixol has been used as a radioligand for the study of D-1 receptors, which are thought to act through stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity. Previous studies in our laboratory have shown that the D-2 receptors in rat caudate labeled by [3H]spiroperidol also have a high affinity for alpha-flupenthixol. The present experiments show that although Scatchard analysis of the binding of [alpha-3H]flupenthixol is consistent with the presence of a homogeneous population of receptors, subpopulations of these sites can be distinguished by their differing affinities for spiroperidol, which has a Kd for D-1 receptors of about 0.3 microM and a Kd for D-2 receptors of approximately 50 pM. The number of D-1 receptors in rat striatum is approximately 4 times the number of D-2 receptors. D-1 receptors can be studied by including 10 nM spiroperidol in assays carried out with [alpha-3H]flupenthixol, thus blocking the binding of [alpha-3H]flupenthixol to D-2 receptors. The affinity of these receptors for dopamine is decreased by GTP, as has been observed in studies of other receptors whose effects are mediated through changes in adenylate cyclase activity. In the presence of spiroperidol, the Hill coefficients determined from dose-response curves of the inhibition of the binding of [alpha-3H]flupenthixol by antagonists or by agonists in the presence of GTP suggest that the binding reaction obeys simple Michaelis-Menten kinetics for a single class of binding sites.     

The interaction of amitriptyline, doxepin, imipramine and their N-methyl quaternary ammonium derivatives with subtypes of muscarinic receptors in brain and heart

The interaction of amitriptyline, doxepin, imipramine and their N-methyl quaternary derivatives with muscarinic receptors was investigated in the brain and heart. The potency of the tricyclic derivatives for inhibiting the binding of 11[[2-[(diethylamino) methyl]-1-piperidinyl]acetyl]-5,11-dihydro-6H-pyrido[2,3-b] [1,4] benzodiazepine-6-one to M2 muscarinic receptors in cerebral cortex was similar to that measured in competitive binding experiments with the nonselective muscarinic antagonist [3H]N-methylscopolamine in the corpus striatum and heart. Moreover, the tricyclic derivatives antagonized muscarinic receptor-mediated inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity with similar potency in the corpus striatum and heart, and there was good agreement between the affinities of the tricyclic derivatives when measured by radioligand binding and by antagonism of the adenylate cyclase response. Our results show that amitriptyline, doxepin and imipramine lack selectivity for subtypes of the muscarinic receptor.