Ageing and α-adrenoceptors

1. Ageing changes in α-adrenoceptors can be summarized as follows: except in the eye, where there is an apparent increased responsiveness with increasing age in man, peripheral α-adrenoceptor responsiveness has generally been found to be either unchanged or reduced with increasing age in animals and man.

2. Even where changes have been found it remains to be clarified whether these changes are selective changes in α-receptors or whether they are due to alterations in responsiveness beyond the level of the receptor.