The effects of endogenous phospholipase A2 activation on beta adrenoceptor function in cardiac cells

The effects of endogenous phospholipase A2 activation by melittin on components of the beta adrenoceptor linked adenylate cyclase system were examined in cultured cardiac cells. Exposure of cardiac cells for one hour to melittin concentrations ranging from 0.125 microgram/ml to 5.0 micrograms/ml induced a concentration dependent hydrolysis of radioactively labelled phospholipids and loss of lysophospholipids from the cell membrane. Melittin concentrations of 2.5 micrograms/ml or greater markedly attenuated the isoprenaline induced rise in cyclic AMP. In vitro studies using cell homogenates suggest that phospholipase A2 activation by the higher concentration of melittin (5 micrograms/ml) partially uncoupled the beta adrenoceptor from adenylate cyclase. Beta adrenoceptor number estimated by 125I-iodohydroxybenzylpindolol specific binding as well as the affinity of isoprenaline for these binding sites were unaffected by melittin pre-exposure. The percentage stimulation of adenylate cyclase by sodium fluoride or guanylylimidodi-phosphate was not significantly affected by activation of endogenous phospholipase A2. Phosphodiesterase activity in the soluble fraction of cell homogenates increased marginally (9%, P = 0.05) in cells exposed to melittin. These results suggest that activation of endogenous phospholipase A2 within the sarcolemma can modulate the activity of the beta adrenoceptor linked adenylate cyclase system of intact cardiac cells. The reduced beta adrenoceptor responsiveness of the cells appears to be primarily due to an alteration in coupling between the beta adrenoceptor and the guanine nucleotide binding protein components of the adenylate cyclase system and not between the latter and the catalytic subunit.