Imidazoline receptors but not alpha 2-adrenoceptors are regulated in spontaneously hypertensive rat heart by chronic moxonidine treatment.

Abstract

We have recently identified imidazoline I(1)-receptors in the heart. In the present study, we tested regulation of cardiac I(1)-receptors versus alpha(2) -adrenoceptors in response to hypertension and to chronic exposure to agonist. Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR, 12-14 weeks old) received moxonidine (10, 60, and 120 microg/kg/h s.c.) for 1 and 4 weeks. Autoradiographic binding of (125)I-paraiodoclonidine (0.5 nM, 1 h, 22 degrees C) and inhibition of binding with epinephrine (10(-10)-10(-5) M) demonstrated the presence of alpha(2)-adrenoceptors in heart atria and ventricles. Immunoblotting and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction identified alpha(2A)-alpha(2B)-, and alpha(2C), and -adrenoceptor proteins and mRNA, respectively. However, compared with normotensive controls, cardiac alpha(2) -adrenoceptor kinetic parameters, receptor proteins, and mRNAs were not altered in SHR with or without moxonidine treatment. In contrast, autoradiography showed that up-regulated atrial I(1)-receptors in SHR are dose-dependently normalized by 1 week, with no additional effect after 4 weeks of treatment. Moxonidine (120 microg/kg/h) decreased B(max) in right (40.0 +/- 2.9-7.0 +/- 0.6 fmol/unit area; p < 0.01) and left (27.7 +/- 2.8-7.1 +/- 0.4 fmol/unit area; p < 0.01) atria, and decreased the 85- and 29-kDa imidazoline receptor protein bands, in right atria, to 51.8 +/- 3.0% (p < 0.01) and 82.7 +/- 5.2% (p < 0.03) of vehicle-treated SHR, respectively. Moxonidine-associated percentage of decrease in B(max) only correlated with the 85-kDa protein (R(2) = 0.57; p < 0.006), suggesting that this protein may represent I(2)-receptors. The weak but significant correlation between the two imidazoline receptor proteins (R(2) = 0.28; p < 0.03) implies that they arise from the same gene. In conclusion, the heart possesses I(1)-receptors and alpha(2)-adrenoceptors, but only I(1)-receptors are responsive to hypertension and to chronic in vivo treatment with a selective I(1)-receptor agonist.

• Authors: Rouwayda El-Ayoubi, Ahmed Menaouar, Jolanta Gutkowska, Suhayla Mukaddam-Daher
• Journal: The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics (J Pharmacol Exp Ther) Vol. 310 Issue 2 Pg. 446-51 (Aug 2004) ISSN: 0022-3565 [Print] United States
• PMID: 15075383 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Imidazoles
• Imidazoline Receptors
• Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2
• Receptors, Drug
• moxonidine

Topics

• Animals
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Female
• Heart Atria (drug effects, metabolism)
• Heart Ventricles (drug effects, metabolism)
• Hypertension (metabolism)
• Imidazoles (administration & dosage)
• Imidazoline Receptors
• Myocardium (metabolism)
• Rats
• Rats, Inbred SHR
• Rats, Inbred WKY
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2 (biosynthesis, genetics)
• Receptors, Drug (biosynthesis, genetics)
• Up-Regulation (drug effects, physiology)