Spaceflight-induced cardiac atrophy and rhythm disorders are linked to dysregulation of the adrenergic-cAMP-PKA pathway. Gravity-dependent alterations in adrenergic signaling, particularly cAMP dynamics, remain poorly understood. Using fluorescence biosensors, we studied intact cells under simulated microgravity and hypergravity. We observed shifts in the EC50 of cAMP production: leftward under hypergravity and rightward in microgravity, with faster cAMP accumulation kinetics in hypergravity. Cytoskeletal remodeling, hypothesized to be a determinant of such changes, was negligible, suggesting alternative mechanisms. These findings highlight significant gravity-induced offsets in the pharmacology of a prototypical G protein-coupled receptor, with implications not only for adrenergic signaling but also for other pathways of pharmacological interest, potentially informing countermeasures for astronaut health and pharmacology in altered gravity settings.
Bathe-Peters et al. (Mon,) studied this question.