Carazolol, an extremely potent beta-adrenergic blocker: binding to beta-receptors in brain membranes.

The binding of $\text{(±)-[}{}^3\text{H}\text{]}\text{carazolol}$, a recently developed β-adrenergic antagonist of high potency, to rat cerebral cortical membranes is compared to the binding of (?)-[³H]dihydroalprenolol (³H-DHA). ³H-Carazolol binds saturably to cortical β-receptors with a K_D of 0.15 nM, a value approximately four times lower than that for ³H-DHA. Considering that ³H-carazolol was used as the racemic mixture and ³H-DHA as the (?)-isomer, an equivalent formulation of ³H-carazolol would be 8–10 times more potent than ³H-DHA. This increased affinity can be explained by the observed two fold greater association rate constant and a two fold lower dissociation rate constant. The drug displacement profile of ³H-carazolol binding is very similar to that of ³H-DHA. ³H-Carazolol has equal displacements constants when binding is performed in calf cerebral cortex (which contains mainly β₁ receptors) and calf cerebellum (which contains mainly β₂ receptors), indicating that ³H-carazolol binds with equal affinity to β₁ and β₂ receptors. The percent free drug (i.e. unbound to serum proteins) for both carazolol and propranolol in rabbit serum is approximately 10%. At physiologically equivalent doses of carazolol and propranolol in the rabbit, there is no detectable free β-blocking activity at 15, 30 or 60 min after intravenous injection of carazolol, although substantial propranolol activity is detected.     

A radioreceptor assay for opiate drugs in human cerebrospinal fluid and plasma

We have developed a radioreceptor assay for opiates based on the ability of the plasma and CSF content of these drugs to compete for the binding of ³H-buprenorphine to opiate receptors in rat forebrain membranes. Since plasma proteins significantly inhibit total ³H-buprenorphine binding, and sodium ions reduce the affinity of opiate agonists for the receptor, it was necessary to extract opiates into an organic solvent (ether). The radioreceptor assay is particularly sensitive to buprenorphine and morphine, detecting these compounds at low picogram levels. The assay is simple to perform since 50 samples can be processed in a day, and is specific in that other drugs employed during anaesthesia such as benzodiazepines do not compete with ³H-buprenorphine for the opiate receptor. The extraction and binding techniques described should be applicable to other ³H-ligands which have high affinity for opiate receptors.     

Beta-adrenoceptors of human lymphocytes: decrease in affinity of agonist for (-)3h-dihydroalprenolol binding sites by cytoplasmic fractions

The beta-adrenoceptors of intact human lymphocytes were investigated by binding assays with a radiolabeled β-adrenergic antagonists, (?)³H-dihydroalprenolol (DHA). Results shown are 1.48 ± 0.57 × 10⁴ binding sites for the ligand per cell. Binding of (?)³H-DHA to the membrane fractions of human lymphocytes was studied for comparison. The affinity of (?)³H-DHA for membrane was similar to that for whole lymphocytes, but the binding to the membranes was inhibited more strongly by β-adrenergic agonist. Moreover, the cytoplasmic fraction of human lymphocytes decreased the inhibition by (?)-isoproterenol of (?)³H-DHA binding to the membrane fraction. The results imply that the cytoplasmic fraction of human lymphocytes lowered the affinity of (?)-isoproterenol to (?)³H-DHA binding sites and left no effect on the binding of the β-adrenergic antagonist to the sites.     

A simple sensitive radioreceptor assay for calcium antagonist drugs

A radioreceptor assay for calcium channel antagonist drugs described here is based on the ability of these drugs to affect ³H-nitrendipine binding to calcium channels. All the known calcium channel antagonists may be assayed in this manner. The assay can detect 10–100 nM (4 – 40 ng/ml) nimodipine, 10–100 nM (3.5 – 35 ng/ml) nifedipine, 3–30 μM (1.2 – 12 μm/ml) prenylamine, 0.1 – 1.0 μM (49 – 490 ng/ml) verapamil and 3–30 μM (1.2 – 12 μg/ml) diltiazem. These values cover the range of concentrations of calcium channel antagonists that are clinically important. As the radioreceptor assay detects active metabolites as well as the parent drugs, it should prove a useful adjunct in cardiovascular therapy. The method is more reproducible, simpler and less expensive than other methods such as high pressure liquid chromatography.     

Effect of age on adrenergic and dopaminergic receptor binding in rat brain

The effects of age on receptor binding of adrenergic and dopaminergic ligands were studied in rat cerebral cortex and striatum respectively. Compared to rats 5 months of age, 25-month old rats had a significant decrease in specific binding of the β-adrenergic antagonist ligand ³H-DHA, the α-adrenergic ligand ³H-WB-4101 in cortex, and the dopaminergic antagonist ³H-spiperone in striatum. Scatchard analysis of ligand binding indicated that the decrease in specific binding was due to a decrease in the number of receptors and not to a change in the affinity of the ligand for the receptor.     

Endogenous and Exogenous Regulation of Human α- and β-Adrenergic Receptors

Abstract

Regulation of human β2-adrenergic receptors in lymphocytes (determined by (±)-125 iodocyanopindolol (ICYP) binding) and α₂-adrenergic receptors in platelets (determined by ³H-yohimbine binding) was studied. While α₂-adrenergic receptor number did not change with age, a significant negative correlation between the number of α₂-adrenergic receptors and age was found; plasma catecholamines, on the contrary, were elevated in the elderly.In healthy women during normal menstrual cycle the number of α₂-adrenergic receptors decreased with increasing plasma estradiol levels.Incubation of lymphocyte membranes with isoprenaline (100 μM) and of platelet membranes with clonidine (1-100 μM) led to a reduction of the number of β₂- and α₂-receptors, respectively, without changes in the K_D-values. Treatment of hypertensive patients with clonidine (3x150 μg/die) for 7 days reduced the number of α₂-adrenergic receptors in platelets. In platelet membranes from such treated patients inhibition of ³H-yohimbine binding by clonidine and adrenaline was not affected by 10-⁴MGTP. It is concluded, that human α- and β-adrenergic receptors undergo regulatory mechanisms similar to those recently described for adrenergic receptors in a variety of animal models.     

Characteristics of β-adrenergic receptors in longitudinal muscle membranes of rat uterus: Changes in kinetic properties of the receptor during gestation

Binding characteristics of β-adrenergic receptors of longitudinal muscle membranes isolated from different stages of pregnant rat myometrium were investigated using [³H]dihydroalprenolol. Between Days 15 and 21 of gestation, the ratio of β₁- and β₂-adrenergic receptors of longitudinal membranes was constant. The membranes were found to be predominant in β₂-adrenergic receptors. The concentration of longitudinal muscle β-adrenergic receptors increased significantly during the last 7 days of gestation. Kinetic binding studies implied that the affinity of the membrane β-adrenergic receptors decreased through a slight decrease in the association rate and a large increase in the dissociation rate with progression of pregnancy. A Scatchard plot indicated that longitudinal muscle in β-adrenergic receptors on Days 15 and 18 constitute a single class of independent sites. By contrast, the dissociation kinetics, the convex downward curvature in a Scatchard plot and a Hill coefficient (h) of less than 1.00 of [³H] DHA binding to β-receptors of muscle on Day 21 suggested the existence of negatively cooperative multiple binding sites for β-adrenergic ligand. These results suggest that changes in the dynamics of uterus β-adrenergic receptors play an important role in the onset of labor.     

Dissociation of beta-adrenergic receptors from hormone responsiveness during maturation of the rat reticulocyte

Intact rat erythrocytes and reticulocytes have been studied in relation to their concentration of β-adrenergic receptors and their responsiveness to β-adrenergic catecholamines. Characteristics of the β-receptor, as determined by binding of ¹²⁵I-labelled hydroxybenzylpindolol, were compared among control erythrocytes and reticulocytes. The dissociation constant (K_d=0.1?0.2 nM), association and dissociation kinetics, and stereospecificity for (?)-isomers of agonists and antagonists were similar in both cell types. The reticulocyte population contained four times more receptors per cell than the control erythrocytes. However, reticulocytes were 25 times more responsive than control cells to isoproterenol, as measured by the formation of cyclic AMP. After peak reticulocytosis, cells rapidly lost 95% of their maximum hormone responsiveness, but β-receptors declined much more slowly. The 4-fold decrease in β-receptors was associated with a 4-fold decrease in cell volume as the reticulocytes matured. The density of β-receptors was unchanged. However, responsiveness to isoproterenol in the reticulocytes when expressed on the basis of cell volume was still nine times greater than the control cells. Thus, maturation of reticulocytes is associated with an uncoupling of persistent β-receptors from catecholamine responsiveness.     

Beta-Adrenergic receptors: solubilization of (-)(3H)alprenolol binding sites from frog erythrocyte membranes.

The β-adrenergic receptors ((?)[³H]alprenolol binding sites) present in a purified preparation of frog erythrocyte membranes have been solubilized with digitonin and assayed by equilibrium dialysis with (?)[³H]alprenolol. At a concentration of 0.5–1% the detergent solubilizes about 80% of the receptor binding activity. The soluble receptor sites are not sedimented at centrifugal forces up to 105,000 xg for two hours, pass freely through Millipore filters of 0.22 μ pore size and fractionate on Sepharose 6B gel with an apparent molecular weight of 130–150,000 in the presence of digitonin. The soluble receptor sites retain all of the binding characteristics of the membrane-bound receptors. β-adrenergic agonists and antagonists compete with (?)[³H]alprenolol for occupancy of the soluble sites with affinities which are directly related to their β-adrenergic potency on membrane-bound adenylate cyclase.     

Stereospecific (3H)(minus)-alprenolol binding sites, beta-adrenergic receptors and adenylate cyclase

The binding of [³H](?)-alprenolol (a potent β-adrenergic antagonist) to sites in frog erythrocyte membranes has been studied by a centrifugal assay. The specificity of the binding sites is strikingly similar to what might be expected of the β-adrenergic receptor binding sites which mediate stimulation of adenylate cyclase by catecholamines in these membranes. The sites bind β-adrenergic antagonists and agonists with affinities which are directly related to their antagonist or agonist potency on the frog erythrocyte membrane adenylate cyclase. Binding shows strict stereospecificity with (?)-isomers exhibiting two orders of magnitude higher affinities than (+)-isomers. Dissociation constants for potent β-adrenergic antagonists are in the range of 10^?9 – 10^?8M whereas those for β-adrenergic agonists are about two orders of magnitude higher (≥ 10^?6M).     

Direct studies of beta-adrenergic receptors intact frog erythrocytes.

(?) [³H]Dihydroalprenolol, a potent competitive β-adrenergic antagonist can be used to directly study β-adrenergic receptors by ligand binding techniques in an intact cell system, the frog erythrocyte. At 37°, binding reached equilibrium within 1 minute. Upon addition of excess unlabeled propranolol, complete dissociation of receptor bound ligand occurred within 1 minute. The characteristics of (?) [³Hdihydroalprenolol binding to β-adrenergic receptors in intact cells were quite similar to those previously demonstrated with isolated membrane fractions. The equilibrium dissociation constant for (?) [³H]dihydroalprenolol was 1.5 nM. Order of potency of agonists and antagonists in competing for the binding sites was appropriate for the β-adrenergic receptor as was the stereospecificity of binding ((?) isomers more potent than (+) isomers). Saturation studies with these intact cells indicated 1700 binding sites/cell in excellent agreement with the number previously estimated from membrane studies. Preincubation of cells with 10^?5M isoproterenol produced a 36% fall in number of β-adrenergic receptors. It is concluded that (?) [³H]dihydroalprenolol can be used to directly study the properties and regulation of β-adrenergic receptors in intact cell as well as broken cell preparations.     

An irreversible blocker for the beta-adrenergic receptor.

New reversible blockers for the β-adrenergic receptor have been synthesized. All the compunds possess free amine(s) residues which have been bromoacetylated. The N-bromoacetyl derivatives were also found to be potent β-blockers. One of these bromoacetyl derivatives: N-(2-hydroxy-3-naphthoxypropyl)-N′-bromoacetyl-ethylenediamine is shown to inhibit irreversibly 1-epinephrine-dependent adenylate cyclase from turkey erythrocytes, whereas it has no effect on the fluoride-dependent activity of the enzyme. This compound also eliminates the specific [³H]-propranolol binding to the β-receptors. These findings suggest that the compound N-(2-hydroxy-3-naphthoxypropyl)-N′-bromoacetyl-ethylenediamine is a potent β-receptor-directed affinity label.     

Differential supersensitivity of beta-receptor subtypes in rat cortex and cerebellum after central noradrenergic denervation

Inhibition of ³H-dihydroalprenolol binding to rat cortex and cerebellum β-receptors by the selective β₁-antagonist practolol, and the selective β₂-agonist salbutamol, was shallow and biphasic, with log-logit slopes less than 1.0. The relative affinities of these inhibitors suggested that the predominant β-adrenergic receptor population in cortex and cerebellum was β₁ and β₂ respectively. specific lesion of the ascending dorsal norepinephrine bundle, in addition to increasing β-receptor number in the cortex, significantly increased the affinity of practolol, but did not change the affinity of salbutamol, at cortex β receptor sites. Similar lesions decreased cerebellar β-receptor binding and reduced the affinity of salbutamol but not of practolol for those same sites. Iterative computer analysis of the inhibition data showed mixed populations of β₁- and β₂- receptors in both cortex and cerebellum. Dorsal NE bundle lesion doubled the number of cortical β₁-receptors, but did not alter the number of β₂-receptors. In contrast, these lesions induced a selective decrease in cerebellar β₂-receptors. It is concluded that the relevant neuronal β-receptors which are postsynaptic to central NE nerve terminals are β₁ in the cerebral cortex and β₂ in the cerebellum.     

Quantitation of Beta Adrenergic Receptors in Rat Liver: Confounding Effect of Displaceable But Nonstereospecific Antagonist Binding

Abstract

In rat liver membranes three types of ligand binding were seen using [³H]-dihydroalprenolol (DHA) and [¹²⁵I]-hydroxybenzylpindolol (HYP): binding stereospecifically displaced by β-adrenergic agonists and antagonists, binding nonstereospecifically displaced by β-adrenergic antagonists, and binding which was not displaced by β-adrenergic agonists or antagonists.

The magnitude of the nonstereospecific displaceable binding varied with the physiological state of the animal. It was sufficient to prevent the quantitation of the stereospecific displaceable binding in some preparations from young rats but in all preparations of rats greater than 150 g or more than about 6 weeks of age. In adrenalectomized weanling rats 10–30% of the total binding was of nonstereospecific displaceable type while in control rats it comprised up to 60% of the total binding. Addition of 5 X 10^-6 M phentolamine to the assay eliminated a large proportion of the nonstereospecific displaceable binding. When phentolamine was included in the assay, liver membranes from weanling rats stereo-specifically bound 30–35% of total binding; membranes from adrenalectomized rats showed stereospecific binding of up to 50 to 80%.

Because the amount of displaceable, nonstereospecific binding varied greatly depending on the physiologic state of the animals, stereospecific displacement should be monitored for every type of liver membrane preparation. Furthermore, animal age is an important variable. Using the published antagonist binding methodology (DHA or HYP) in liver membranes, it is not presently possible to quantitate liver β-adrenergic receptors in normal rats that have reached maturity.     

一种新的具有多肽性质的β-肾上腺素能受体阻滞剂

从蚯蚓中分离得到的能够抑制离体豚鼠心耳收缩的活性成分,经放射性配体结合实验表明,能够抑制~8H标记的心得舒与鸭红细胞膜制剂内β—肾上腺素能受体的结合。在腺苷酸环化酶活性测定中能抑制异丙基肾上腺素对酶的激活作用。为一种新的内源性的β—肾上腺素能受体阻滞剂。     

Catecholamine binding to CNS adrenergic receptors

The properties of ³H-catecholamine binding to α- and β-adrenergic receptors in CNS are reviewed. ³H-epinephrine and ³H-norepinephrine label one class of α-receptors throughout the brain, with high affinities for agonists and some antagonists. Agonist affinities at this site are increased in low temperature conditions but are reduced by guanine nucleotides and monovalent cations. Divalent cations reverse both effects. This α-receptor may be coupled to adenylate cyclase by GTP and/or sodium, and uncoupled by divalent cations. ³H-epinephrine labels β₂, but not β₁, receptors in CNS, especially in bovine cerebellum. The same β-receptor does not show agonist-specific GTP-sensitivity, but does exhibit Na⁺-sensitivity. This receptor appears to be linked to adenylate cyclase, and sodium rather than GTP may be the coupling agent.     

Evidence for a defect in the number of β-adrenergic receptors and in the adenylate cyclase responsiveness to guanine nucleotides in fat cells after adrenalectomy

Receptor binding studies (?)-[³H]dihydroalprenolol as the ligand revealed, in adrenalectomized rat fat cells, a 50% decrease in the number of β-adrenergic receptors. er cell with no change in the receptor affinity for this ligand. Adrenalectomy caused no change in the binding affinity for isoproterenol of both high affinity and low affinity populations of the β-adrenergic receptors. Guanine nucleotide sensitivity of the agonist binding to β-receptors was also unaltered by adrenalectomy. Adrenalectomy caused a 30–40% decrease in the maximal response of adenylate cyclase to (?)-isoproterenol only when guanine nucleotides were present in the assay, without altering the (?)-isoproterenol concentration giving half-maximal adenylate cyclase stimulation (K_act values). The maximal response of adenylate cyclase to Gpp(NH)p also was lower in adrenalectomized membranes, indicating a defect at the guanine nucleotide regulatory site. Removal of adenosine by addition of adenosine deaminase failed to reverse the decreased adenylate cyclase response to isoproterenol in adrenalectomized rats. However, in intact fat cells, in which cyclic AMP accumulation in response to isoproterenol was decreased by adrenalectomy, removal of adenosine almost completely corrected this defect. These results indicate that the observed changes in the number of β-adrenergic receptors and in the ability of guanine nucleotides to stimulate adenylate cyclase, though explaining the decreased adenylate cyclase responsiveness to catecholamines, do probably not contribute significantly to the mechanism by which adrenalectomy decreases the lipolytic responsiveness of adipocyte to catecholamines. In addition, this study also suggests that the increased sensitivity to adenosine of lipolysis reported in adipocytes from adrenalectomized rats may result from an action of adenosine at a post-adenylate cyclase step, possibly on the cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase.     

II. Beta-adrenergic receptors and catecholamine sensitive adenylate cyclase in the developing rat lung

β-Adrenergic receptors were identified in membrane fractions of fetal and postnatal rat lung with the β-adrenergic antagonist (?)?[³H] dihydroalprenolol, (?)?[³H] DHA. β-Receptor number (Bmax) increased 11-fold from day 18 of gestation to day 28 of postnatal life, 46±7 to 491±69 femtomole·mg^?1 protein. Neither the K_D, approximately 0.8nM for [³H]DHA, nor the β-adrenergic subtype changed with age. Classical agonists competed for the β-receptor with properties characteristic of β₂-adrenergic binding. Analysis of the inhibition of receptor binding by selective β-adrenergic agents demonstrated approximately 75% β₂ and 25% β₁ β-adrenergic subtypes in fetal rat lung membranes. The increase in β-adrenergic receptor during development was associated with adenylate cyclase activity which was sensitive to catecholamines at all ages studied, supporting the possible role of the β-adrenergic receptor system in the postnatal regulation of pulmonary function.     

[3H]norepinephrine binding by rat glial cells in culture lack of correlation between binding and adenylate cyclase activation

Subcellular fractions prepared from rat glial cells in culture (clonal line C₆) were used in an attempt to characterize the adrenergic receptor involved in adenylate cyclase activation. Both [³H]norepinephrine binding and enzyme activation were measured under identical experimental conditions.Binding sites for norepinephrine could be detected; their main characteristics were: apparent K_m : 4 · 10⁻⁶ M, maximal capacity: 20 pmol/mg protein.Their stereospecificity towards structually related drugs was found to be different from the stereospecificity of the receptor involved in adenylate cyclase activation. Thus, 3-methoxydopamine (a competitive inhibitor of norepinephrine for adenylate cyclase activation), phenylephrine (a partial adrenergic agonist) and the blocking agent propranolol were unable to compete with [³H]norepinephrine for binding. On the other hand, several molecules like dopa bearing a catechol group and which are unable to interact with the adenylate cyclase as agonists or competitive inhibitors strongly inhibited [³H]norepinephrine binding.As in several other systems so far studied, the presence on the glial cell's membrane of a large number of “catechol-binding sites” makes it difficult to characterize the β-adrenergic receptor.