Cardiac surgery causes desensitization of the beta-adrenergic receptor system of human lymphocytes

Thirteen patients undergoing cardiac surgery were studied to examine whether beta-adrenergic desensitization occurs in the perioperative period surrounding cardiac surgery, using peripheral blood lymphocytes as a model. Lymphocytes were isolated before induction of anesthesia (PRE) and on the morning of the first postoperative day (POST). Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) production from the lymphocytes was assayed in the untreated (BASAL) state, and after treatment with 5 microM isoproterenol, 10 microM prostaglandin E1, or 20 mM sodium fluoride with 10 microM AlCl3 (NaF). All cAMP values are reported as picomoles per 10(6) cells, mean +/- SEM. BASAL cAMP production did not change significantly between the PRE and POST samples (PRE, 1.2 +/- 0.1; POST, 1.0 +/- 0.1). Isoproterenol-stimulated cAMP was significantly lower postoperatively (PRE, 8.36 +/- 0.9; POST, 5.1 +/- 0.5; P less than 0.005). Prostaglandin E1-stimulated cAMP did not change (PRE, 21.7 +/- 2.4; POST, 25.3 +/- 2.5), and NaF-stimulated cAMP was increased postoperatively (PRE, 8.8 +/- 1.6; POST, 14.3 +/- 2.0; P less than 0.05). These findings suggest that cardiac surgery and/or cardiopulmonary bypass results in significant desensitization of the beta-adrenergic receptor/adenylate cyclase system of lymphocytes, which may parallel changes in the adrenergic response of other organ systems.