Ontogenetic development of mRNA levels and binding sites of hepatic β-adrenergic receptors in cattle

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Catecholamines regulate glucose metabolism and affect hepatic glucose production mainly through β 2-adrenergic receptors. The hypothesis was tested that gene expression and numbers of hepatic β-adrenergic receptors in calves are influenced by age. Examined developmental stages included pre-term (P0) and full-term (F0) calves immediately after birth, full-term calves on day 5 of life (F5), and veal calves (VC) at the age of 159 days. Expression of β 1-, β 2-, and β 3-adrenergic receptor mRNA was measured by real-time PCR. Receptor binding was quantified by saturation binding assays using ( 3H)-CGP-12177 as a ligand. Abundance of mRNA differed among β-adrenergic subtypes (β 2 > β 1 > β 3; P < 0.01). β 3-Adrenergic receptor mRNA was undetectable in VC. mRNA abundance for β 2-adrenergic receptors was higher ( P < 0.05) in VC than P0 and for β 3-adrenergic receptors was higher ( P < 0.001) in F5 than P0. Binding studies revealed most binding of ( 3H)-CGP-12177 to β 2-adrenergic receptors, which were highest in VC ( P < 0.001) and higher ( P < 0.05) in F5 than P0. Binding sites correlated positively with mRNA levels of β 2-adrenergic receptors ( r = 0.67; P < 0.001), with hepatic activities of phosphoenolpyruvate kinase ( r = 0.73; P < 0.001) and with pyruvate kinase ( r = 0.4; P < 0.05), and with plasma glucose concentrations ( r = 0.5; P < 0.01). In conclusion, mRNA of all three β-adrenergic receptor subtypes were found in liver, with β 2-adrenergic receptors being the dominant subtype. Numbers of β 2-adrenergic receptors increased with age and were mainly regulated at the transcriptional level. Numbers of β-adrenergic receptors were positively associated with hepatic activities of gluconeogenetic enzymes and with plasma glucose levels, suggesting functional importance.