Post-receptor modulation of the effects of cyclic AMP in isolated cardiac myocytes

The actions of cyclic AMP are subject to several levels of post-receptor modulation in cardiac tissue. Isoproterenol and prostaglandin E1 both stimulate cAMP accumulation, but only isoproterenol causes activation of particulate cAMP-dependent protein kinase, leading to activation of phosphorylase kinase and glycogen phosphorylase, and inhibition of glycogen synthase. Through the use of isolated, adult ventricular myocytes, we have determined that the hormone-specific activation of glycogen phosphorylase is due to subcellular compartmentation of cAMP. There is some evidence that cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases, whose activity is stimulated by alpha 1-adrenergic agonists in isolated myocytes, may have a role in compartmentation. Phosphoinositide hydrolysis is stimulated by alpha 1 and muscarinic agonists, presumably leading to activation of protein kinase C, which in turn has multiple effects on hormone-sensitive adenylate cyclase.