Potentiation of alpha 1-adrenergic responses in rat liver by a cAMP-dependent mechanism

Treatment of isolated hepatocytes with the alpha 1-adrenergic agonist norepinephrine induced a dose-dependent increase in free cytosolic Ca2+, as judged by fluorescence increases, in cells loaded with the Ca2+ indicator (2-[(2-bis[carboxymethyl]amino-5-methylphenoxy)methyl]-6-methoxy-8 -bis [carboxymethyl]aminoquinoline (quin-2). Pretreatment with either glucagon or dibutyryl cAMP increased the rate and magnitude of the quin-2 fluorescence response in hepatocytes treated with submaximal doses of norepinephrine and increased the cell sensitivity such that a physiological concentration of norepinephrine (7.5 nM) was able to provoke a quin-2 fluorescence response. Similar enhancement of norepinephrine-induced phosphorylase activation and pyridine nucleotide reduction in isolated hepatocytes and Ca2+ efflux from the perfused liver was also observed in the presence of glucagon. These potentiated responses correlated with a cAMP-dependent increase (mediated by glucagon, dibutyryl cAMP, or forskolin) in the binding of [3H]norepinephrine or [3H]epinephrine to sites present on isolated hepatocytes bearing the characteristics of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors. The data suggest that a cAMP-dependent mechanism is involved in the regulation of alpha 1-agonist binding to liver cells and, thereby, in the control of hepatic carbohydrate metabolism in response to catecholamines.