UQ Neurosciences - Seminars

Upcoming seminars

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• Physiology and Pharmacology- new seminars
• CSSIP connectionist discussion group, Festival of Doubt
• UQ conferences and seminars

SEMINAR PROGRAM - DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY
The University of Queensland
Room 305, Skerman (Building 65 St Lucia Campus)

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Special seminar
Friday Jan 22nd, 1-2pm

Speaker:
Professor AJ Kaumann
Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK

Title:
Gs protein-coupled receptors in the human heart


Endogenous amines, such as noradrenaline, adrenaline, 5-hydroxytryptamine
and histamine, enhance rate and force of the human heart beat through
receptors mainly coupled to Gs protein which usually in turn use adenylyl
cyclase as an effector. Activation of these receptors can be beneficial or
harmful to cardiac function. Noradrenaline and adrenaline cause increases
in heart rate and force, hastening of relaxation and arrhythmias through
co-existing beta1- and beta2-adrenoceptors; 5-HT mediates positive inotropy
and arrhythmias through activation of 5HT4 receptors. In the human heart,
responses mediated through beta-adrenoceptor subtypes are of similar
magnitude yet there are consistently many more beta1-adrenoceptors. The
reason for this is a selective coupling of beta2-adrenoceptors with the Gs
protein. The relevance of beta3- and putative beta4-adrenoceptors in the
human heart is controversial. Further, chronic treatment with beta-blockers
causes atrial inotropic hyperresponsiveness of Gs protein-linked receptors
to different degrees; many mechanisms have been proposed. Thus,
understanding of the regulation of Gs protein-coupled receptors in the
human heart is necessary to understand cardiac function.

Contact:
Dr Lindsay Brown
Telephone +61 7 3365 3098
email brown@plpk.uq.edu.au