High isoproterenol doses are required to activate beta3-adrenoceptor-mediated functions in dogs.

The "in vivo" conditions for beta3-adrenoceptors (beta-AR) activation by isoproterenol were investigated in dog. Experiments were carried out in anesthetized dogs using isoproterenol as a nonselective beta-AR agonist. Intravenous infusion of isoproterenol (0.4 nmol/kg/min) induced arterial hypotension and tachycardia with a slight decrease in cutaneous blood flow. At this dose, isoproterenol increased glucose, glycerol, and nonesterified fatty acid plasma levels. The changes in cardiovascular and endocrine-metabolic parameters, induced by the low dose of isoproterenol, were suppressed by pretreatment with nadolol (1 mg/kg, i.v.). After nadolol administration, however, a 10-fold higher dose (4 nmol/kg/min) of isoproterenol was able to induce a decrease in arterial blood pressure with a slight tachycardia and an increase in cutaneous blood flow. This high dose of isoproterenol increased nonesterified fatty acid and glycerol plasma levels but failed to change glucose plasma levels. All these effects were abolished by a pretreatment with nadolol (1 mg/kg, i.v.) plus SR59230A [a selective beta3-adrenoceptor antagonist; (3-(2-ethylphenoxy)-1(1S)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphth-1-ylaminol-(2S)2-propanol oxalate); 1 mg/kg, i.v.]. Moreover, as observed with the high dose of isoproterenol under nadolol pretreatment, an infusion of SR58611A [a selective beta3-adrenoceptor agonist; ((N2S)-7-carbethoxymethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphth-2-yl-(2R)-2-hydroxy-2-chlorophenyl) ethanamine hydrochloride] induces a decrease in mean arterial blood pressure associated with an increase in heart rate, cutaneous blood flow, and nonesterified fatty acid and glycerol plasma levels. These results demonstrate that the in vivo activation of beta3-adrenoceptors requires higher doses of catecholamine than those necessary for beta1- and/or beta2-adrenoceptor stimulation. These results also argue for the lack of a beta3-AR involvement in the control of heart rate and glycogenolysis in dogs.