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Review
. 2025 Oct 18.
doi: 10.1007/s00210-025-04708-5. Online ahead of print.

Tribute to Alberto J. Kaumann

Torsten Christ  1 , Ursula Ravens  2
Affiliations
Review

Tribute to Alberto J. Kaumann

Torsten Christ et al. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. .

Abstract

This review summarises the major contributions of Alberto J. Kaumann who died in December 2024. The German-born pharmacologist devoted his scientific life to the cardiovascular adrenergic and serotinergic systems. He classified the subtypes of the cardiac β-adrenoceptors (β-AR) into β1- and β2-AR using the subtype-selective antagonist. In addition, he showed that the dual coupling of β2-AR to Gαs- and Gαi-proteins plays a minor role in the healthy heart. He also found that the positive inotropic effect of serotonin (5-HT) was not mediated by release of noradrenaline, but due to activation of a specific 5-HT receptor coupled to Gαs-proteins. His experiments with prostaglandin-E1 demonstrated an increase in cAMP and spontaneous beating frequency of the heart in the absence of a positive inotropic effect, suggesting a compartmentation of cAMP. This finding was later verified by experiments with subtype-selective phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Last not least, he explained the antiarrhythmic effect of sotalol by prolongation of the cardiac action potential duration, providing for the first time, what was years later to be defined as class III antiarrhythmic action. With Alberto Kaumann, we have lost a colleague and friend who had dedicated his life to science and music.

Keywords: Cardiovascular adrenergic and serotonergic systems; cAMP; β-adrenoceptors.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval: Ethics, consent to participate, and consent to publish declarations: not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

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