Alpha(2B)-adrenergic receptor deletion polymorphism associates with autonomic nervous system activity in young healthy Japanese

Several polymorphisms of genes involved in autonomic nervous system (ANS) function have been reported to affect metabolic regulation. We have investigated the association of an alpha(2B)-adrenergic receptor (alpha(2B)AR) three-amino acid deletion polymorphism with ANS activity in young healthy subjects by means of electrocardiogram R-R interval power spectral analysis. Three hundred eighty-one young healthy Japanese males (mean +/- SE, 20.6 +/- 0.1 yr) were studied. One hundred sixty-eight (44.1%) were homozygotes of Long allele (Long/Long), 162 (42.5%) were heterozygotes (Long/Short), and 51 (13.4%) were homozygotes of Short allele (Short/Short). The allele frequency of Short allele was 0.35. No significant differences were observed in any of the characteristics investigated: body mass index, plasma glucose, plasma insulin, or family history of diabetes and obesity. In R-R spectral analysis of heart rate variability, carriers of Short/Short had significantly greater low frequency and very low frequency than Long/Long, as well as a higher sympathetic nervous system index. These findings suggest that the alpha(2B)AR deletion polymorphism might result in metabolic disorder by altering ANS function.