Molecular Mechanisms of Adenylyl Cyclase Desensitization in Pregnant Rat Myometrium following In Vivo Administration of the β-Adrenergic Agonist, Isoproterenol

Beta-adrenergic agonists are widely used for preterm labor treatment, but their effectiveness may be limited by desensitization. We thus investigated the effects of a beta-agonist, isoproterenol, on the myometrial beta-adrenergic receptor (beta-AR)/adenylyl cyclase pathway after administration in vivo to late-pregnant rats (8 mg/kg, twice-daily injections). One hour after the first injection, isoproterenol-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity was reduced by 37%. This was associated with a rapid and transient uncoupling of the beta2-ARs (53% reduction of high-affinity receptors). After prolonged isoproterenol treatment (76 h), adenylyl cyclase activity was desensitized not only to isoproterenol but also to guanosine triphosphate and forskolin. Such treatment induced 1) a selective decrease of beta2-ARs as assessed by 125I-cyanopindolol binding, which was reversed by 5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate and thus probably did not involve irreversible loss of receptors, and 2) a rapid alteration of their transcript levels. Prolonged isoproterenol treatment also led to myometrial Gi2alpha and Gi3alpha increase (44% and 70%) as assessed by Western blotting. Furthermore, pertussis toxin pretreatment of membranes abolished the decrease in isoproterenol-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity. Thus, we demonstrated that myometrial adenylyl cyclase desensitization after beta-agonist treatment results mainly from beta2-AR uncoupling and increase in Gi activity.