Pj. Scarpace et al., MYOCARDIAL ADENYLYL-CYCLASE TYPE-V AND TYPE-VI MESSENGER-RNA - DIFFERENTIAL REGULATION WITH AGE, Journal of cardiovascular pharmacology, 27(1), 1996, pp. 86-90
Myocardial beta-adrenergic signal transduction diminishes with age. Th
is decrease is not due to a decrease in the number of beta-adrenocepto
rs, but may be a result of an impaired capacity to activate adenylyl c
yclase (AC). Forskolin-stimulated AC activity is diminished, and the n
umber of forskolin binding sites is decreased, suggesting that the dec
rease in signal transduction with age is a result of fewer AC catalyti
c units. To investigate whether the decrease in AC with age is associa
ted with diminished AC mRNA, we assessed AC type V and type VI mRNA in
ventricles from 6-, 11-, and 24-month-old F-344 rats. The predominant
mRNA species, type V, increased by 45% between 6 and 11 months of age
but decreased to just below the 6-month level by age 24 months. In co
ntrast, type VI mRNA decreased by 44% between 6 and 11 months of age a
nd then increased to the 6-month level at age 24 months. The changes i
n type V and type VI mRNA did not parallel the decreases in the AC act
ivity or forskolin binding sites with senescence. These data indicate
that the steady-state levels of type V and VI AC mRNA are not reliable
predictors of the efficacy of forskolin stimulation of AC activity at
different ages.