Altered calcium transient and development of hypertrophy in beta2-adrenoceptor overexpressing mice with and without pressure overload.

Transgenic (TG) mice with cardiac specific 200-fold overexpression of beta(2)-adrenoceptors (beta(2)-AR) have a facilitated development of heart failure following thoracic aortic constriction (TAC). We have studied the alterations of intracellular Ca(2+) transients and myocyte size in wild-type (WT) and TG mice after TAC. Cardiomyocytes were isolated from mice 9 weeks after TAC or sham operation, and incubated with Fura 2/AM.