AJP - Endocrinology and Metabolism, Vol 243, Issue 1 43-E47, Copyright © 1982 by American Physiological Society
Clinical physiology of adrenergic receptor regulation
R. J. Lefkowitz
Radioligand binding studies now permit the direct investigation of the
alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors. The concentration of the receptors in
cell membranes is modulated by a wide variety of physiological and
pathophysiological variables and may be either increased or decreased in
different conditions. Ligand binding techniques have also shed light on the
ways in which the adrenergic receptors are coupled to other components of
the hormone-sensitive adenylate cyclase system. This "coupling" is also a
highly regulated step, control of which importantly influences
catecholamine and sensitivity of tissues.
