Depletion of endogenous dopamine stores and shift in [beta]-adrenoceptor subtypes in cardiac tissue following five weeks of chronic denervation

• Published in: Molecular and cellular biochemistry Vol. 183; no. 1-2; p. 215
• Main Authors: Van der Vusse, Ger J, Dubelaar, Marie-louise, Coumans, Will A, Steinfath, Markus, Smith, Chris Ct, Drake-holland, Angela J, Noble, Mark Im
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer Nature B.V 01.06.1998
• Subjects: Dopamine; Fibers
• ISSN: 0300-8177; 1573-4919
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1006861112530

Surgical ablation of extrinsic cardiac nerve fibers results in a chronically denervated state of the left ventricle of the heart. The present study was performed to elucidate the effect of a period of five weeks of chronic denervation on cardiac catecholamine levels in general and dopamine in particular. Moreover, the possible effect on cardiac β-adrenoceptor subtypes was investigated. Experiments were performed on adult dogs. In addition to adrenaline and noradrenaline the tissue levels of dopamine were found to be severely depressed. A significant shift from β1- to β2-adrenoceptor subtype was observed, while the total β-adrenoceptor density remained unaffected. The present findings indicate that catecholamine synthesis in chronically denervated hearts is impaired upstream of dopamine and that a shift in β-adrenoceptor subtype occurs already within a relatively short period of five weeks of denervation, and suggest that the lack of endogenous catecholamines influence the relative expression levels of the two subtypes of β-adrenoceptors present in cardiac tissue.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]