Receptor pharmacology of carvedilol in the human heart

J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 1992:19 Suppl 1:S68-80. doi: 10.1097/00005344-199219001-00014.

Abstract

The beta-blocker and vasodilator carvedilol was examined in preparations of human ventricular myocardium. Carvedilol is a high-affinity, slightly beta 1-selective competitive beta-blocking agent, with a KD for beta 1-receptors of approximately 4-5 nM and a selectivity of sixfold to 39-fold for beta 1-receptors rather than beta 2-receptors, depending on the method used to assess subtype potency. Carvedilol also is a potent alpha 1-blocking agent, with a beta 1: alpha 1-blocking relative potency of 1.7-fold. In human lymphocytes containing beta 2-receptors and human myocardial membranes containing both beta 1- and beta 2-receptors, carvedilol exhibited the unique property of guanine nucleotide-modulatable binding. This is a property shared with bucindolol, another beta-blocker and vasodilator that is structurally similar to carvedilol. Despite the presence of guanine nucleotide-modulatable binding, no intrinsic activity of carvedilol was detected in preparations of isolated human heart or in myocardial membranes.

MeSH terms

  • Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / metabolism
  • Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / pharmacology*
  • Antihypertensive Agents / metabolism
  • Antihypertensive Agents / pharmacology
  • Binding, Competitive
  • Carbazoles / metabolism
  • Carbazoles / pharmacology*
  • Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / metabolism*
  • Carvedilol
  • Cyclic AMP / metabolism
  • Guanylyl Imidodiphosphate / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Iodocyanopindolol
  • Metoprolol / metabolism
  • Metoprolol / pharmacology
  • Myocardium / metabolism*
  • Pindolol / analogs & derivatives
  • Pindolol / metabolism
  • Pindolol / pharmacology
  • Propanolamines / metabolism
  • Propanolamines / pharmacology*
  • Propranolol / metabolism
  • Propranolol / pharmacology
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / drug effects
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / metabolism*
  • Vasodilator Agents / metabolism
  • Vasodilator Agents / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Adrenergic beta-Antagonists
  • Antihypertensive Agents
  • Carbazoles
  • Propanolamines
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, beta
  • Vasodilator Agents
  • Carvedilol
  • Guanylyl Imidodiphosphate
  • Iodocyanopindolol
  • Propranolol
  • Pindolol
  • Cyclic AMP
  • bucindolol
  • Metoprolol