ABSTRACT
The association between functional ß2 adrenergic receptor (ß2-AR) polymorphisms and cardiac autonomic modulation is still unclear. Thus, two common polymorphisms in the ß2-AR gene (Gln27Glu ß2 and Arg16Gly ß2) were studied to determine whether they might affect tonic and reflex cardiac sympathetic activity in healthy young subjects. A total of 213 healthy young white subjects of both genders (53% female), aged 18-30 years (23.5±3.4 y), had their continuous blood pressure curves noninvasively recorded by Finometer at baseline, and other hemodynamic parameters, as cardiac autonomic modulation, baroreflex sensitivity, and allele, genotype, and diplotype frequencies calculated. Associations were made between Arg16Gly ß2 and Gln27Glu ß2 polymorphisms and between ß2-AR diplotypes and all variables. The heart rate was significantly lower (P<0.001) in the presence of homozygous Arg/Arg alleles (60.9±1.5 bpm) than in that of Arg/Gly heterozygotes (65.9±1.0 bpm) or Gly/Gly homozygotes (66.3±1.2 bpm). Homozygous carriers of Arg16 allele had an alpha index (19.2±1.3) significantly higher (P<0.001) than that of the subjects with the Gly allele Gly/Gly (14.5±0.7) or Arg/Gly (14.6±0.7). Furthermore, the recessive Glu27Glu and the heterozygous Gln27Glu genotypes had a higher percentage of low-frequency components (LF%) than the homozygous Gln27Gln (15.1% vs. 16.0% vs. 8.2%, P=0.03, respectively). In healthy young subjects, the presence of ß2-AR Arg16 allele in a recessive model was associated with higher baroreflex sensitivity, and increased parasympathetic modulation in studied individuals.
