Characterization of beta-adrenergic receptors in dispersed rat testicular interstitial cells

Recent studies have shown that beta-adrenergic agents stimulate steroidogenesis and cyclic AMP formation in mouse Leydig cells in culture. To obtain information about the possible presence and the characteristics of a beta-adrenergic receptor in rat testicular interstitial cells, the potent beta-adrenergic antagonist [125I]cyanopindolol (CYP) was used as ligand. Interstitial cells prepared by collagenase dispersion from rat testis were incubated with the ligand for 2 h at room temperature. [125I]cyanopindolol binds to a single class of high affinity sites at an apparent KD value of 15 pM. A number of sites of 6,600 sites/cell is measured when 0.1 microM (-) propranolol is used to determine non-specific binding. The order of potency of a series of agonists competing for [125I]cyanopindolol binding is consistent with the interaction of a beta 2-subtype receptor: zinterol greater than (-) isoproterenol greater than (-) epinephrine = salbutamol much greater than (-) norepinephrine. In addition, it was observed that the potency of a large series of specific beta 1 and beta 2 synthetic compounds for displacing [125I]cyanopindolol in rat interstitial cells is similar to the potency observed for these compounds in a typical beta 2-adrenergic tissue, the rat lung. For example, the potency of zinterol, a specific beta 2-adrenergic agonist, is 10 times higher in interstitial cells and lung than in rat heart, a typical beta 1-adrenergic tissue. Inversely, practolol, a typical beta 1-antagonist, is about 50 times more potent in rat heart than in interstitial cells and lung.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)