Cholera toxin accentuates the antagonism by acetylcholine of higenamine-induced positive chronotropy is isolated right atria of mice

+/- -Higenamine (demethylcoclaurine), a cardiotonic principle from aconite root, chronotropic and inotropic actions mediated through beta 1-adrenergic receptors. We have investigated the influence of cholera toxin (CTX), a Gs-protein activator, and pertussis toxin (PTX), a Gi-protein inhibitor on the chronotropic interaction between higenamine and a muscarinic agonist, acetylcholine (ACh) in the isolated right atria of mice. CTX (100nm, 1h) pretreatment accentuated the inhibitory responses to cumulative applications of ACh (30nM--30 microns for the positive chronotropic effects induced by higenamine (100nM), isoproterenol (3 and 10 nM) or dobutamine (100nM). In normal atria (CTX-untreated), ACh physiologically antagonized the positive chronotropic effects of these beta-adrenergic agonists. Pretreatment with PTX (150 microgram/kg, i.p., 3d) abolished the CTX (100nm, 1 h)-induced accentuation in the inhibitory effect of ACh against higenamine. PTX pretreatment also attenuated the physiological antagonism by ACh against higenamine in normal atria. The negative chronotropic effect of ACh was not affected by a submaximal concentration of forskolin (1 micron). The These results suggest an accentuated antagonism between higenamine and ACH in CTX-treated, but not in untreated, isolated right atria of mice, which may occur through a functional interaction between the beta1-adrenergic-Gs and muscarinic-Gi systems.