Depressant effects of L-tyrosine on isolated perfused rat and rabbit hearts

Tyrosine exerts potent cardiovascular effects: smaller doses induce tachycardia and hypertension while higher doses induce bradycardia and hypotension. However, the direct cardiac effects of this amino acid have not been characterised. In the present study increasing doses of L-tyrosine were administered to the perfusate of isolated rat (0.01-10.0 mg) and rabbit (0.5-40.0 mg) hearts. Heart rate and isometric force of contraction or amplitude of contractions, and either perfusion pressure or flow of perfusate were recorded. In rat hearts L-tyrosine decreased heart rate and isometric force of contraction. In rabbit hearts L-tyrosine also decreased heart rate and amplitude of contractions. The effects on coronary vasculature were variable. In rat hearts, high doses of L-tyrosine induced bi-phasic changes with initial coronary dilatation, followed by vasoconstriction. In rabbit hearts the predominant effect of L-tyrosine was coronary artery constriction. These results show that the inhibitory cardiovascular effects of L-tyrosine in vivo may be at least in part, explained by direct cardiac effects of this amino acid.