Adrenergic receptor

The adrenergic receptors (or adrenoceptors) are a class of guanine nucleotide regulatory binding protein receptors (G protein-coupled receptors) that are targets of the catecholamines, especially norepinephrine (noradrenaline) and epinephrine (adrenaline). Adrenergic receptors mediate the effects of norepinephrine, epinephrine, and many adrenergic prescription drugs.

Alpha adrenergic receptors
Alpha adrenergic receptors or adrenergic receptors, also known as α-ARs or α-AdRs.

The alpha adrenergic receptors are:
 * α1-AR
 * α2-AR

Beta adrenergic receptors
Beta adrenergic or β adrenergic receptors are also known as β-ARs or β AdR, have a key role in cardiac regulation.

The beta-adrenergic receptors are:
 * β1-AdR
 * β2-AdR
 * β3-AdR

ME/CFS
In 2015, a relatively large German study found 29% of ME/CFS patients had elevated autoantibodies to M3 and M4 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, as well as ß2 adrenergic receptors.

In 2020, a small Sweden study confirmed these results in two different patient cohorts, but did not find a relationship between adrenergic receptors and the severity of ME. The study assessed patients with moderate ME who met the Canadian and international consensus criteria for ME, plus the Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease criteria, and found that the majority of patients had raised blood plasma concentration of β1, β2, M3 and M4-receptor autoantibodies but cerebral spinal fluid levels were normal. Only 25% of healthy controls had raised autoantibody levels. These findings supported the autoimmune hypothesis for a subset of patients.

Notable studies

 * 2016, Antibodies to β adrenergic and muscarinic cholinergic receptors in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - (Full Text)
 * 2020, Autoantibodies to beta-adrenergic and muscarinic cholinergic receptors in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) patients – A validation study in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid from two Swedish cohorts - (Full text)

News articles and blogs

 * 2015, Autoantibodies found in subset of CFS patients - #MEAction

Learn more

 * Beta-Adrenergic Receptors, from Their Discovery and Characterization through Their Manipulation to Beneficial Clinical Application