ABSTRACT
AIM: To examine the autoantibody against ? 1-adrenoceptor and its biologic activities during the development of renal hypertension. METHODS: Renal hypertension of rat was achieved by clipped renal artery, the titre of autoantibody to ? 1-adrenoceptor was detected using ELISA immunoassay. Furthermore, the biological offects of these autoantibodies on cultured cardiomyocytes were also examined. RESULTS: After two weeks of clipping renal arteries, both the frequency of occurrence and the titre of autoantibodies to cardiac ? 1-adrenergic receptor were significantly increased as compared with the control of pre-treatment. The increased autoantibodies lasted for several weeks and then automatically decreased gradually to the pre-clipping level at 12 weeks. The biological effects of these autoantibodies displayed an "agonistic-like" activities on the beating frequency of cultured neonatal cardiomyocytes. CONCLUSION: Autoantibodies against ? 1-adrenoceptor may play a role in the elevation of peripheral vascular resistance and in the development of cardiac hypertrophy in rats with renal hypertension.