Cardiac and vascular alpha(1)-adrenoceptors in congestive heart failure: a systematic review

As heart failure (HF) is a devastating health problem worldwide, a better understanding and the development of more effective therapeutic approaches are required. HF is characterized by sympathetic system activation which stimulates α- and β-adrenoceptors (ARs). The exposure of the cardiovascular system to the increased locally released and circulating levels of catecholamines leads to a well-described downregulation and desensitization of β-ARs. However, information on the role of α-AR is limited. We have performed a systematic literature review examining the role of both cardiac and vascular α1-ARs in HF using 5 databases for our search. All three α1-AR subtypes (α1A, α1B and α1D) are exp…