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Altered beta-adrenoceptor internalization does not explain reduced beta-adrenergic responsiveness in the elderly.
D J Silberstein1, J Rigby, J Merrell
1Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232.
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
|January 1, 1989
Summary
Elderly individuals do not show altered beta-adrenoceptor internalization, suggesting this process is not responsible for reduced adrenergic responsiveness in older adults.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Gerontology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Reduced adrenergic responsiveness is common in the elderly.
- Beta-adrenoceptor function is crucial for cardiovascular and metabolic regulation.
- Understanding age-related changes in receptor function is vital for health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if impaired beta-adrenoceptor internalization contributes to reduced adrenergic responsiveness in the elderly.
- To compare the ability of beta-adrenoceptors to internalize in young versus elderly men.
Main Methods:
- Lymphocytes from young and elderly men were exposed in vitro to varying concentrations of isoproterenol.
- Total beta-adrenoceptor numbers and basal internalization levels were measured.
- Isoproterenol-induced receptor internalization was quantified and compared between age groups.
Main Results:
- Total beta-adrenoceptor numbers per cell were similar in both young and elderly men.
- Basal levels of beta-adrenoceptor internalization were also comparable between the groups.
- Isoproterenol induced dose-dependent receptor internalization similarly in both young and elderly individuals, with no significant difference in EC50 values.
Conclusions:
- Altered beta-adrenoceptor internalization does not appear to be a mechanism for impaired beta-adrenoceptor function in the elderly.
- Age-related adrenergic dysfunction may stem from other cellular or signaling pathway alterations.