In-vivo studies do not support a major functional role for the Gly389Arg beta 1-adrenoceptor polymorphism in humans.

beta 1-adrenoceptors play a pivotal role in regulating contractility and heart rate in the human heart. Recently, a polymorphism of the beta 1-adrenoceptor has been detected: at amino acid position 389 either Gly or Arg has been found with the Gly389 exhibiting reduced responsiveness upon agonist-induced stimulation in vitro. In order to find out whether the Gly389 polymorphism exhibits blunted responsiveness also in vivo we studied, in healthy volunteers, the effects of exercise on heart rate and heart rate-corrected duration of electromechanical systole (QS2c as a measure of inotropism) which, in humans, is mediated by beta 1-adrenoceptors stimulation. Twenty-four healthy volunteers (12 female, 12 male) homozygous for the Gly389 or Arg389 exercised on a bicycle in supine position (25, 50, 75 and 100 W for 5 min each), and heart rate and QS2c were assessed; in addition, plasma renin activity (PRA) was determined which is also regulated by beta 1-adrenoceptors in humans. Exercise caused work-load dependent increases in heart rate and PRA, and shortening of QS2c; however, these changes were not significantly different between the Gly389 and Arg389 polymorphism. Thus, these three beta 1-adrenoceptor responses did not differ between volunteers with the Arg389 versus the Gly389 polymorphism. Intragroup analysis, however, revealed that exercise induced increase in heart rate and shortening of QS2c were higher in female than in male volunteers. In conclusion, our data do not support the idea that the reduced responsiveness of Gly389 against agonist-induced stimulation observed in vitro is of major functional importance in vivo.

[Cortisone treatment of arteriosclerotic chorioretinopathy - a catamnestic study (author's transl)]. / Zur Cortisonbehandlung der arteriosklerotischen Chorioretinopathie - eine katamnestische Studie.

Visual acuity was tested in 34 patients (64 eyes), age 73.6 years, following systemic cortisone administration. A significant improvement in vision was found (82.81% and 67.19%) after three as well as after an average of ten months. It is remarkable that some of the patients (17 eyes), who were treated with vessel-active substances, and in some cases also with the vitamins A and E, also showed improvement in visual acuity comparable with the group treated with cortison only. In the small group (six eyes) with moist macular degeneration a slight improvement was only recorded in one case. The probable effects of cortisone in the course of arteriosclerotic chorioretinopathy are explained with the aid of histological findings of other authors.