Glaucoma, capillaries and pericytes. 4. Beta-adrenergic activation of cultured retinal pericytes

To characterize the relaxation of pericytes induced by beta-adrenergic stimulation, changes in the contractile tone of pericytes were quantified as a change in the wrinkling of an elastic silicone surface on which they were cultured. Isoproterenol produced relaxation of pericytes in a dose-dependent manner over a range of 5 nM to 1 microM. Low concentrations of the nonselective beta-blockers propanolol and timolol blocked the relaxation produced by isoproterenol. The specific beta 2-adrenergic component of isoproterenol-induced relaxation was shown by blockage with bromoacetyl alprenolol menthane. In contrast, atenolol and betaxolol, as relatively selective beta 1-adrenergic blockers, had no effect on the isoproterenol-induced relaxation.