Adrenergic receptor down-regulation studied, role of receptor kinase revealed.

This article presents findings of a research previously published in the "Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics," conducted by researcher A.N. Desai. Investigators from the United States have reported that cellular G protein-coupled receptor kinase levels regulate sensitivity of the alpha(2B)-adrenergic receptor to undergo agonist-induced down-regulation. Chronic coactivation of alpha(2B)- and beta(2)-adrenoceptors (AR) was recently reported to down-regulate the alpha(2B)-AR at a lower threshold epinephrine concentration compared with the activation of alpha(2B)-AR alone. This is the result of a modest beta(2)-AR-dependent up-regulation of G protein-coupled receptor kinase 3.