Altered coupling of alpha 1-adrenergic receptor-G protein in rat parotid during aging

A possible role for altered signal transduction mechanisms in impaired alpha 1-adrenergic-stimulated secretory function during aging was investigated in parotid cells prepared from adult (6 mo) and old (24 mo) rats. Compared with adults, epinephrine-stimulated 45Ca2+ efflux and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3] production were reduced 31 and 36% in cells of old rats, respectively. There was a highly significant correlation between 45Ca2+ efflux and Ins(1,4,5)P3 production. In saponin-permeabilized cells, no significant differences in Ins(1,4,5)P3-stimulated 45Ca2+ efflux in adult and old preparations were observed. When G proteins were stimulated by guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) or NaF, no age differences in Ins(1,4,5)P3 production were detected. Stimulation of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) by CaCl2 in adult and old cells was also comparable. Moreover, no differences in immunolabeled common alpha (GTP binding site), Gi alpha, PLC-gamma, or PLC-delta could be detected in either cytosol or membranes of adult and old preparations. In the absence of 5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate [Gpp(NH)p], no age-related changes in epinephrine competition for [3H]prazosin binding sites were observed. Approximately 30% of the agonist binding sites existed in a high-affinity form at both ages. Gpp(NH)p caused large rightward shifts of epinephrine displacement curves in adult membranes (converting all binding sites to the low-affinity form), but not old. Moreover, epinephrine was much more effective in stimulating G protein low-Km GTPase in parotid membranes from adult than old rats. These data suggest that age-related impairments in alpha 1-adrenergic responsiveness are mediated, at least in part, by the functional alterations in the coupling of G proteins with alpha 1-adrenergic receptors.