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Aim: The enhancement of intracellular Ca2+ signaling in response to alpha 1-adrenergic receptor (alpha 1-AR) stimulation is an essential signal transduction event in the regulation of cardiac functions, such as cardiac growth, cardiac contraction, and cardiac adaptation to various situations. The present study was intended to determine the role(s) of the alpha 1-AR subtype(s) in mediating this response., Methods: We evaluated the effects of subtype-specific agonists and antagonists of the alpha 1- AR on the intracellular Ca2+ signaling of neonatal rat ventricular myocytes using a confocal microscope., Results: After being cultured for 48 h, the myocytes exhibited spontaneous local Ca2+ release, sparks, and global Ca2+ transients. The activation of the alpha 1-AR with phenylephrine, a selective agonist of the alpha 1-AR, dose-dependently increased the frequency of Ca2+ transients with an EC50 value of 2.3 micromol/L. Blocking the alpha 1A-AR subtype with 5-methylurapidil (5-Mu) inhibited the stimulatory effect of phenylephrine with an IC(50) value of 6.7 nmol/L. In contrast, blockade of the alpha 1B-AR and alpha 1D-AR subtypes with chloroethylclonidine and BMY 7378, respectively, did not affect the phenylephrine effect. Similarly, the local Ca2+ spark numbers were also increased by the activation of the alpha 1-AR, and this effect could be abolished selectively by 5-Mu. More importantly, A61603, a novel selective alpha 1A-AR agonist, mimicked the effects of phenylephrine, but with more potency (EC(50) value =6.9 nmol/L) in the potentiation of Ca2+ transients, and blockade of the alpha 1A-AR by 5-Mu caused abolishment of its effects., Conclusion: These results indicate that alpha 1-adrenergic stimulation of intracellular Ca2+ activity is mediated selectively by the alpha 1A-AR.

Aim: To investigate the movement of alpha(1A)-adrenergic receptors(alpha(1A)-AR) stimulated by agonist, phenylephrine (PE), and the dynamics of receptor movement in real time in single living cells with millisecond resolution., Methods: We labeled alpha(1A)-AR using the monoclonal, anti-FLAG (a kind of tag) antibody and Cy3-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG and recorded the trajectory of their transport process in living HEK293A cells stimulated by agonist, PE, and then analyzed their dynamic properties., Results: The specific detection of alpha(1A)-AR on the surface of living HEK293A-alpha(1A) cells was achieved. alpha(1A)-AR internalize under the stimulation of PE. After the cells were stimulated with PE for 20 min, apparent colocalization was found between alpha(1A)-AR and F-actins. After 40 min stimulation of PE, trajectories of approximate linear motion in HEK293A-alpha(1A) cells were recorded, and their velocity was calculated., Conclusion: The specific labeling method on the living cell surface provides a convenient means of real-time detection of the behavior of surface receptors. By this method we were able to specifically detect alpha(1A)-AR and record the behavior of individual particles of receptors with 50 ms exposure time in real time in single living cells.

Aim: To examine the subcellular distribution of the 3 alpha1-adrenoceptor (alpha1-AR) subtypes and their internalization and trafficking upon agonist stimulation in human embryonic kidney 293A cells., Methods: Confocal real-time imaging, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and whole cell [3H]-prazosin binding assay were applied to detect the distribution and localization of the 3 alpha1-AR subtypes., Results: alpha1A-AR was found both on the cell surface and in the cytoplasm; alpha1BAR, however, was predominantly detected on the cell surface, while alpha1D-AR was detected mainly in the intracellular compartments. After stimulation with phenylephrine, localization changes were detected by confocal microscopy for alpha1A- and alpha1B-AR,but the localization of alpha1D-AR were unaffected. Phenylephrine stimulation promoted a more rapid internalization of alpha1B-AR than alpha1A-AR. alpha1D-AR internalization was detected only by ELISA. Whole cell [3H]-prazosin binding assay showed that alpha1A-AR functional receptors were detected both on the cell surface and in the cytoplasm; alpha1B-AR, however, were detected predominantly on the cell surface, while alpha1D-AR were detected mainly in intracellular compartments. Phenylephrine stimulation promoted internalization of alpha1A- and alpha1B-AR., Conclusion: Phenylephrine stimulation induced changes in the localization of the 3 alpha1-AR.

Aim: To find novel proteins that may bind to alpha1A-adrenergic receptor (alpha1A-AR) and investigate their interactions with the other two alpha1-AR subtypes (alpha1B-AR and alpha1D-AR) with an expectation to provide new leads for the function study of the receptors., Methods: Yeast two-hybrid assay was performed to screen a human brain cDNA library using the C terminus of alpha1A-AR (alpha1A-AR-CT) as bait. X-Gal assay and o-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside (ONPG) assay were subsequently conducted to further qualitatively or quantitatively confirm the interactions between receptors and the three identified proteins., Results: (1) Selection medium screening identified segments of bone morphogenetic protein-1 (BMP-1), active Bcr-related protein (Abr), and filamin-C as binding partners of alpha1A-AR-CT in yeast cells respectively. Besides, protein segments of BMP-1 and Abr could only specifically interact with alpha1A-AR-CT while filamin-C segment interacted with all three alpha1-AR subtypes. (2) In X-Gal assay, the co-transformants of alpha1A-AR-CT and BMP-1 segments turned strong blue at about 30 min while other positive transformants only developed weak blue at about 5-6 h. (3) In ONPG assay, interaction (shown in beta-galactosidase activity) between alpha1A-AR-CT and BMP-1 segments was about 30 times stronger than that of control (P<0.01), while other positive interactions were only about 2-5 times as strong as those of controls (P<0.05)., Conclusion: In yeast cells BMP-1, Abr and/or filamin-C could interact with three alpha1-AR subtypes, among which, interaction between BMP-1 and alpha1A-AR was the strongest while other interactions between proteins and receptors were relatively weak.

Aim: To investigate whether stimulation of beta-adrenoceptor (AR) and its subtypes augment alpha1-AR-evoked positive inotropic response and inositol phosphate (InsP) accumulation in isolated rat left atria., Methods: Inotropic response was determined by contractile function experiment in isolated electrically driven rat left atria. 3H-InsP accumulations were measured by 3H-inositol incorporation and column chromatography., Results: (1) Stimulation of alpha1-AR by phenylephrine (PE) or norepinephrine (NE) in the presence of propranolol (Prop) evoked positive inotropic response and 3H-InsP accumulations, while stimulation of beta-AR by isoprenaline (ISO) or NE in the presence of phentolamine (Phen) only evoked positive inotropic response, but not 3H-InsP accumulations. (2) Simultaneous stimulation of alpha1- and beta-AR by NE or ISO plus PE significantly shifted the concentration-dependent inotropic response curves and 3H-InsP accumulation curves to the left and upward compared with individual alpha1-AR stimulation by PE or NE in the presence of Prop. (3) In the presence of ICI118551 (selective beta2-AR antagonist) or CGP12177 (selective beta1-AR antagonist), stimulation of either beta1- or beta2-AR did not change alpha1-AR-evoked inotropic response and 3H-InsP accumulations., Conclusion: Stimulation of beta1-AR and beta2-AR potentiates alpha1-AR-mediated positive inotropic response and InsP accumulation in isolated rat left atria.

Aim: To investigate the characterization of cAMP response mediated by alpha1-adrenoceptor (alpha1-AR) subtypes in HEK293 cells., Methods: (1) Full-length cDNA encoding three alpha1-AR subtypes were transfected into HEK293 cells by the calcium phosphate precipitation method, respectively. (2) The densities of alpha1-AR subtypes expressed in HEK293 cells were measured by radioligand binding assay. (3) cAMP accumulation was measured by [3H]adenine prelabeling method., Results: (1) Activation of each of three subtypes resulted in an increase of cAMP accumulation in HEK293 cells in a dose-dependent manner, which was inhibited by selective alpha1-AR antagonist prazosin. (2) Comparing the pharmacological property, the maximal responses of alpha1A-AR to agonists were the most potent, while the sensitivity of alpha1-AR subtypes to norepinephrine (NE) was the highest., Conclusion: Each of three alpha1-AR subtypes can mediate cAMP accumulation in HEK293 cell line, and there are differences in pharmacological property.

Aim: To study the functional alpha1-adrenergic receptor (alpha1-AR) subtypes in human right gastroepiploic artery (RGA)., Methods: The effects of alpha2-AR, alpha1-AR, and alpha1-AR subtype selective antagonists on norepinephrine (NE)-induced vasoconstriction in isolated human RGA were observed by contractile function experiment., Results: Cumulative concentration-response curves for NE were competitively antagonized in RGA by alpha2-AR selective antagonist yohimbine (pA2 6.82+/-0.28, slope 1.12+/-0.40),alpha1-AR selective antagonist prazosin (pA2 9.77+/-0.22, slope 0.90+/-0.22),alpha1A-AR selective antagonists RS17053 (pA2 8.42+/-0.20, slope 0.93+/-0.20) and 5-MU (pA2 8.42+/-0.22, slope 0.88+/-0.18),alpha1D-AR selective antagonist BMY7378 (pA2 6.84+/-0.32, slope 1.05+/-0.17), and alpha1A-,alpha1B-AR selective antagonist WB4101 (pA2 8.88+/-0.20, slope 1.15+/-0.16). The correlation coefficients between these pA2 values of alpha1-AR selective antagonists with pKi values of which obtained from alpha1A-, alpha1B- and alpha1D-AR cloned cells are 0.95, 0.82, and 0.42. After the vessels were pretreated by chlorethylclonidine (CEC), an alpha1B- and alpha1D-AR irreversible alkylating agent, the pD2 values were changed from 5.9+/-0.5 to 5.6+/-0.6 and the maximal contraction was changed from (8.9+/-3.2) g to (8.0+/-3.2) g, respectively. The difference was not significant., Conclusion: In human RGA, the contraction response is mainly mediated by alpha1-AR, of which alpha1A-AR plays an important role, whereas alpha1B- and alpha1D-AR are not involved in the contraction response.