Alpha-1 adrenergic stimulation of 1,4,5-inositol trisphosphate formation in ventricular myocytes

We demonstrated previously that alpha-1 adrenergic catecholamines modulate cardiac automaticity in a manner that is dependent upon the function of a pertussis toxin sensitive guanine nucleotide binding protein (G protein). Furthermore, we demonstrated that alpha-1 adrenergic receptor stimulation promotes the accumulation of inositol monophosphate (IP1). In the present study we used high-pressure liquid chromatography to resolve individual inositol phosphate isomers formed in norepinephrine-stimulated cultured rat ventricular myocytes. Norepinephrine stimulated a rapid, transient increase in 1,4,5-inositol trisphosphate (1,4,5-IP3) which was followed by slower, sustained increases in 1,3,4-IP3, inositol bisphosphate (IP2) and IP1. IP1 was composed of two major isomers with retention times characteristic of 1-IP1 and 4-IP1. 4-IP1 was the predominant IP1 isomer formed during stimulation with norepinephrine suggesting that the polyphosphoinositides rather than phosphatidylinositol are the principal targets of norepinephrine-stimulated phospholipase C activity in the heart. This was confirmed in studies performed on myocyte membranes which demonstrated proportionately greater IP2 and IP3 (relative to IP1) accumulation in response to norepinephrine. G protein regulation of alpha-1 adrenergic-dependent inositol phospholipid hydrolysis also was examined. In myocyte membranes, guanosine-5'-0-(3-thiotriphosphate) induced the accumulation of IP2 and IP3 and was required for the stimulatory effect of norepinephrine. This response was not impaired after pretreatment with pertussis toxin. These results indicate that the myocyte alpha-1 adrenergic receptor is coupled to a polyphosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C by a pertussis toxin insensitive G protein and suggest that under certain conditions IP3 may serve an important role in alpha-1 adrenergic modulation of cardiac function.