Effects of chronic ethanol exposure on cardiac receptor-adenylyl cyclase coupling: studies in cultured embryonic chick myocytes and ethanol fed rats.

Ethanol effects in the brain appear to be mediated at least in part by an alteration in receptor-effector coupling via guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory proteins (G proteins). To test the hypothesis that a similar pathway participates in the cardiotoxic effects of ethanol, we assessed the effects of chronic ethanol on two commonly used experimental models: embryonic chick myocytes in culture and ventricular myocardium from chronically fed rats. Ethanol had no effect on either the function or quantity of G proteins as assessed by effector-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity and the levels of ADP-ribosylation substrates. In contrast, effector-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity was significantly altered in the liver of ethanol-fed rats. These results suggest that receptor-effector coupling via G proteins in our two cardiac models is insensitive to ethanol and that ethanol effects may be species or organ specific.

Diminished beta-adrenergic receptor responsiveness and cardiac dilation in hearts of myopathic Syrian hamsters (BIO 53.58) are associated with a functional abnormality of the G stimulatory protein.

Previous studies have demonstrated a diminution in the bioactivity of the guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein that stimulates adenylyl cyclase (Gs) in hearts of the hypertrophic BIO 14.6 Syrian hamster. In this study, we measured functional activity and immunodetectable levels of Gs in a mutant strain of hamsters (BIO 53.58) that develop a dilated cardiomyopathy. Pathological studies demonstrated that 100-day-old BIO 53.58 hamsters had substantial ventricular dilation when compared with age-matched F1B controls. Additionally, these 100-day-old hamsters demonstrated diminished contractile response to beta-adrenergic receptor stimulation. The pathological and hemodynamic changes were associated with defective coupling of Gs to adenylyl cyclase as adenylyl cyclase activation was distinctly decreased in the presence of isoproterenol, fluoride ion, guanine nucleotides, and forskolin. Additionally, the ability of the alpha-subunit of Gs to reconstitute isoproterenol-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity in S49 cyc- membranes was reduced approximately 65%. By contrast, cyc- complementation assays did not reveal a difference between the functional activity of Gs in hearts from 30-day-old BIO 53.58 hamsters and F1B controls. Furthermore, beta-adrenergic receptor stimulation of adenylyl cyclase in the membranes of the young BIO 53.58 hamsters was not significantly different from controls. The substantial alterations in Gs bioactivity in hearts of the 100-day-old BIO 53.58 hamsters was not associated with alterations in the immunodetectable levels of either alpha Gs or alpha Gi on Western Blots. These results suggest that G protein changes are associated with ventricular dilation in BIO 53.58 hamsters and that G protein levels are not always reflective of G protein bioactivity.