Hypoxia to heart or brain is a primary cause of heart failure or stroke. Studies have shown that hypoxia increases the beta-adrenergic receptors (βARs) phosphorylation and dysfunction (Cheong et. al., 2016). These observations provide evidence that βARs can directly be regulated by hypoxia but less is known about the underlying mechanisms. We postulated that hypoxia shifts the homeostasis between kinase and phosphatase driven mechanisms may underlie βAR dysfunction. β2AR HEK 293 cells were exposed to hypoxia (2% O
2
) and assessed the mechanisms underlying desensitization (G-protein coupled receptor kinases, GRKs) and resensitization (Protein phosphatase 2A, PP2A). Six hours of hypoxia treatment resulted in increase of βAR phosphorylation and GRK2 expression, and interestingly, the internalization of phosphorylated β2AR is β-arrestin independent. Assessment of βAR phosphorylation in the plasma membrane and endosomal fractions surprisingly, showed marked increase in β2AR phosphorylation in the endosomal fraction. Furthermore, we also observed that receptor associated PP2A activity was inhibited in the endosomes following hypoxia with minimal changes of activity at the plasma membranes. At the same time, PI3Kγ activity markedly upregulated in the endosomes along with an increase of I2PP2A phosphorylation. Similarly subjecting normal mice to 20 hours of hypoxia resulted in significant cardiac dysfunction (% FS: Normoxia 38.83% vs. Hypoxia 32.38%, P=0.0055; % EF: Normoxia 69.71% vs. Hypoxia 60.76%,P=0.0105) and was associated with significant increase in β2AR phosphorylation associated with significant loss in βAR function as measured by G-protein coupling adenylyl cyclase activity. Given that β-blockers confer beneficial effects, we tested whether β-blocker (propranolol) would prevent βARs phosphorylation under hypoxia or normoxia. Consistently, β-blocker treatment in normoxia results in increased β2AR phosphorylation however, remarkably β-blocker treatment in hypoxia results in loss of β2AR phosphorylation, reduction in GRK2 expression and increase in βAR-associated PP2A. These studies show that agonist-independent hypoxia-driven β2AR dysfunction can be ameliorated by β-blockers and the underlying mechanisms for
this unexpected findings
will be discussed in the presentation. These findings have significant clinical implications as understanding these mechanisms could provide novel insights into the benefits provided by β-blockers.
You beta block: or not?
