In coronary artery disease the G protein related kinases (GRKs) play a role in desensitization of β-adrenoreceptors (AR) after coronary occlusion. Targeted deletion and lowering of cardiac myocyte GRK-2 decreases the risk of post-ischemic heart failure (HF). Studies carried out in humans confirm the role of GRK-2 as a marker for the progression of HF after myocardial infarction (MI). The level ...

Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) is a novel G-protein that previous studies showed can couple ligand-bound activated alpha(1B) adrenoreceptors to phospholipase C-delta, resulting in phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis. In human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells we found that although endogenous tTG can facilitate alpha(1B) adrenoreceptor-stimulated PI hydrolysis, its contribution is minor compared with the...

WOOD, C. M. 1975. A pharmacological analysis of the adrenergic and cholinergic mechanisms regulating branchial vascular resistance in the rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri). Can. J. Zool. 53: 1569-1577. The adrenergic and cholinergic mechanisms regulating branchial vascular resistance in the trout have been studied using a whole gill preparation perfused at constant flow under approximately normal...

Radioligand binding techniques were used in combination with in vivo electrophysiological recording to characterize changes in beta adrenoreceptor activity in various brain areas in rats treated chronically with morphine. Following chronic morphine treatment, the maximum number of specific binding sites for 3H-dihydroalprenolol (3H-DHA) in parietal cortex and hippocampus showed a biphasic chang...

Ever since the demonstration that the active principle in the adrenal medulla can raise blood pressure (Oliver & Schafer, 1895), catecholamines have been implicated in the hypertensive diseases. The identity of noradrenaline as the neurotransmitter of sympathetic nerves (von Euler, 1946) and the demonstration that an injection of this catecholamine can produce cardiovascular changes similar to ...

Adult freshwater rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were exposed acutely (approximately 20 min) in a stepwise manner to increasing levels of environmental carbon dioxide ranging between 1.7 and 9.0 mmHg (0.23-1.2 kPa). Experiments were performed to examine, for the first time, the influence of hypercapnic acidosis on aspects of cardiovascular physiology including blood pressure, cardiac output...

BACKGROUND Cirrhosis is one of the most frequent and severe chronic diseases worldwide. In the initial stages it has few or no symptoms, but advanced stages of cirrhosis are characterised by reduced liver function, complications due to portal hypertension and neuroendocrine abnormalities with increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and renin-aldosterone axis. The prognosis is...

Trazodone is an antidepressant which behaves as a selective 5-HT(2) antagonist and 5-HT reuptake inhibitor. The lack of information on its effects in vivo prompted us to evaluate alpha(2)-adrenoceptors by means of the specific binding of [(3)H]-rauwolscine, and the 5-HT transporter (SERT) by means of the binding of [(3)H]-paroxetine ([(3)H]-Par), in platelets of depressed patients, before and a...