Increased beta-adrenergic receptors in the light-density membrane fraction in lungs from senescent rats.

There is a dynamic balance between cell surface and intracellular beta-adrenergic receptors. To investigate whether this balance is altered with aging, we determined the number of beta-adrenergic receptors in the heavy- (48,000 x g) and light-density (200,000 x g) membrane fractions from lungs and hearts of 4-, 13-, and 25-month-old rats. There were no differences in the density of receptors with age in the heavy membrane fraction. However, the density of receptors in the light-density fraction from lungs increased with age (109 +/- 7, 230 +/- 43, and 225 +/- 36, F(2,12) = 4.4, p less than .05). Receptors in the heavy membrane fraction expressed both high and low affinity binding for isoproterenol, whereas receptors in light-density fraction expressed only low affinity binding. In contrast to the lung, there were no changes in the number of receptors with age in the light-density membrane fraction from hearts. These data indicate there are increased numbers of beta-adrenergic receptors in the light membrane fraction in lungs from aged rats, which are separated from the other components of the adenylate cyclase complex.

Glucocorticoids modulate beta-adrenoceptor subtypes and adenylate cyclase in brown fat.

Thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT) serves as a regulator of body temperature and weight maintenance. Thermogenesis can be stimulated by catecholamine activation of adenylate cyclase through the beta-adrenergic receptor. Glucocorticoids potentiate the action of catecholamines in some tissues by increasing the expression of beta-adrenergic receptors. Paradoxically, glucocorticoids suppress and adrenalectomy enhances BAT thermogenesis. To further study the reasons for this discrepancy, we assessed the effects of methylprednisolone administration, adrenalectomy, and adrenalectomy with corticosterone replacement on adenylate cyclase activity in BAT and on beta-adrenergic receptor density in lungs and BAT of rats. In lungs, the density of the beta 2-adrenergic receptor subtype increases after methylprednisolone administration and decreases after adrenalectomy. There was no change in BAT receptor density, but isoproterenol-, NaF-, and forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity was reduced by 20-35% after methylprednisolone treatment. There was a two- to threefold increase in adenylate cyclase activity after adrenalectomy, which was reversed by corticosterone administration. These data suggest that one mechanism by which glucocorticoids regulate BAT thermogenesis is by modulating the beta-adrenergic pathway at the level of adenylate cyclase activation.

Modulation of receptors and adenylate cyclase activity during sucrose feeding, food deprivation, and cold exposure.

Thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT) serves as a regulator of body temperature and weight maintenance. Thermogenesis can be stimulated by catecholamine activation of adenylate cyclase through the beta-adrenergic receptor. To investigate the effects of sucrose feeding, food deprivation, and cold exposure on the beta-adrenergic pathway, adenylate cyclase activity and beta-adrenergic receptors were assessed in rat BAT after 2 wk of sucrose feeding, 2 days of food deprivation, or 2 days of cold exposure. beta-Adrenergic receptors were identified in BAT using [125I]iodocyanopindolol. Binding sites had the characteristics of mixed beta 1- and beta 2-type adrenergic receptors at a ratio of 60/40. After sucrose feeding or cold exposure, there was the expected increase in BAT mitochondrial mass as measured by total cytochrome-c oxidase activity but a decrease in beta-adrenergic receptor density due to a loss of the beta 1-adrenergic subtype. This BAT beta-adrenergic receptor downregulation was tissue specific, since myocardial beta-adrenergic receptors were unchanged with either sucrose feeding or cold exposure. In contrast, food deprivation did not alter BAT beta-adrenergic receptor density. Forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity increased in BAT after sucrose feeding or cold exposure but not after food deprivation. The ratio of isoproterenol-stimulated to forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity decreased in the sucrose-fed and cold-exposed rats but not in the food-deprived rats. These data suggest that in BAT, sucrose feeding or cold exposure result in downregulation of beta-adrenergic receptors and that isoproterenol-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity was limited by receptor availability.

Desensitization and resensitization of beta-adrenergic receptors in a smooth muscle cell line.

Exposure to the beta-adrenergic agonist, metaproterenol, elicits extensive receptor loss and desensitization of adenylate cyclase activity in the hamster DDT1, MF-2 cell line. The reappearance of beta-adrenergic receptors and restoration of adenylate cyclase activity were investigated. Receptor reappearance was investigated under conditions in which lost receptors were not detectable either on the cell surface or within the cell. Exposure to metaproterenol resulted in a 3-5-fold decrease in beta-adrenergic receptor affinity for agonist, an 85% reduction in beta-adrenergic receptor number per cell, and a 65% reduction in isoproterenol-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity without any change in NaF-stimulated enzyme activity. The rate of reappearance of the lost receptors was proportional to the concentration of metaproterenol to which the cells were initially exposed. Metaproterenol, at a concentration of 250 microM, induced long-term receptor loss which required 16 days in fresh media devoid of metaproterenol before the full complement of receptors reappeared. This prolonged receptor loss may be due to residual metaproterenol; however, the resensitization of isoproterenol-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity was restored 2 days after removal of metaproterenol. The lag period for the reappearance of receptors was shortened by incubation with either the beta-adrenergic antagonist, nadalol, or the glucocorticoid, methylprednisolone. Both pharmaceuticals reversed receptor down-regulation and up-regulated receptor number in control cells, although the extent and time course of restoration were different. These data suggest that the process of resensitization in DDT1 cells involves rapid restoration of adenylate cyclase activity and a slower reappearance of receptors over a time period of six population doublings.