Beta-Adrenergic Stimulation, Response To

McSwigan et al. (1981) suggested that chromosome 21 may carry genetic information involved in regulation of the beta-adrenergic response of human fibroblasts. They based this conclusion on the finding of a 10-fold greater response to beta-adrenergic agonists (as monitored by intracellular cyclic AMP accumulation) in cultured fibroblasts from Down syndrome patients than that in either normal diploid skin fibroblasts or other aneusomic fibroblasts (trisomy 13, 18, 22). No peculiarity of response was observed with prostaglandin E1 or cholera toxin. Monosomy 21 cells responded less than normal diploid fibroblasts to stimulation by the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol.