Infusion Of Adenosine Deaminase Research Articles

Short-term hibernating myocardium: circulation, function and metabolism in sustained regional myocardial ischemia

During moderate prolonged myocardial ischemia, the myocardium is dysfuctional but can remain viable. In such ischemic and dysfunctional myocardium, contractile function is reduced in proportion to the reduction in regional myocardial blood flow, i.e., a state of "perfusion-contraction matching" exists. The metabolic status of such myocardium improves over the first few hours, as myocardial lactate production is attenuated and creatine phosphate, after an initial reduction, returns to control values. Ischemic myocardium, characterized by perfusion-contraction matching, metabolic recovery and lack of necrosis, has been termed "short-term hibernating myocardium". "Short-term hibernating" myocardium can respond to an inotropic stimulation with increased contractile function, however, at the expense of a renewed worsening of the metabolic status. A role for endogenous adenosine in the development of hibernation has been excluded, since neither contractile function, metabolic parameters, nor viability are altered by increased catabolism of endogenous adenosine by infusion of adenosine deaminase. Also activation of ATP-dependent potassium channels is not responsible for "short-term hibernation". "Short-term hibernating" myocardium has, however, reduced calcium responsiveness.

Ischemic preconditioning in pigs: a graded phenomenon: its relation to adenosine and bradykinin.

A threshold concept for ischemic preconditioning (IPc) has been proposed. It is unclear, however, whether IPc, above a certain threshold, is an all-or-nothing or a graded phenomenon. In 71 enflurane-anesthetized swine, severe left anterior descending coronary artery hypoperfusion for 90 minutes followed by 2 hours of reperfusion resulted in an infarct size (IS, by triphenyltetrazolium chloride) of 16.7+/-3.4% (SEM) of the area at risk. IPc by 2 minutes of low-flow ischemia and 15 minutes of reperfusion before the 90-minute target ischemia did not reduce IS (21.9+/-7.0%). IS was decreased to 9.0+/-2.6% (P<0.05) by 3 minutes of IPc and reduced further to 1.9+/-0.9% (P<0.05) by 10 minutes of IPc. The interstitial adenosine concentration (microdialysis, high-performance liquid chromatography) was unchanged with 2 and 3 minutes of IPc but increased with 10 minutes of IPc (by 573+/-144%). The interstitial bradykinin concentration (microdialysis, radioimmunoassay) remained unchanged with 2 minutes of IPc but increased to a similar extent with 3 minutes (by 198+/-32%) and 10 minutes (by 224+/-30%) of IPc. The IS reduction by 3 minutes of IPc was abolished by blockade of the bradykinin B2 receptor with intracoronary HOE 140 (16.6+/-4.3%) but not with intracoronary infusion of adenosine deaminase (8.4+/-2.5%, P<0.05). HOE 140, however, did not affect the IS reduction (3.5+/- 1.1%, P<0.05) by 10 minutes of IPc. Combined infusion of HOE 140 and adenosine deaminase abolished the IS reduction by 10 minutes of IPc (15.4+/-6.7%). IS reduction by IPc is a graded phenomenon. Whereas bradykinin is essential during preconditioning ischemia of shorter duration, adenosine is more important during preconditioning ischemia of longer duration.

The role of adenosine in functional hyperaemia in the coronary circulation of anaesthetized dogs.

1. The aim of this investigation was to determine the contribution of adenosine to coronary active hyperaemia in the dog denervated heart by using adenosine deaminase. 2. Beagles were anaesthetized with thiopentone sodium (500 mg, I.V.) and chloralose (100 mg kg-1, LV.) and artificially ventilated. The hearts were denervate by bilateral cervical vagotomy and cardiac sympathectomy. Blood samples were collected from the coronary sinus via a cannula passed through the right external jugular vein. The anterior descending or circumflex branch of the left coronary artery was cannulated and perfused with blood from the left subclavian artery under systemic blood pressure through an electromagnetic flow probe and a perfusion circuit. The heart was paced (3 V, 0.2 ms and a suitable frequency) via two electrodes attached to the right atrium from 109 +/- 7.3 to 170 +/- 9.8 beats min-4 (means +/- S.E.M.) for 3-4 min, first during an infusion of the solvent, and then during an infusion of a solution of adenosine deaminase (5 U kg-1 min-1) into the circuit. 3. In seventeen tests in eight dogs, infusion of adenosine deaminase did not cause a significant change in the basal coronary blood flow nor in the immediate increase (within 10s) in blood flow induced by pacing the heart from its basal rate to 170 beats min-1. However, adenosine deaminase did cause a significant attenuation by 58 +/- 5.2% (P < 0.05) of the increase in coronary blood flow induced at 3-4 min of pacing from 31 +/- 4.6 to 43 +/- 5.8 ml min-1 (100 g cardiac tissue)-1. Concomitantly, the pacing-induced increase in coronary vascular conductance (from 0.41 +/- 0.08 to 0.54 +/- 0.12 ml min-1 (100 g)-1 mmHg-1) was reduced by 75 +/- 6.6% (P < 0.02) and the increase in myocardial O2 consumption (from 13 +/- 3.5 to 21 +/- 4.2 ml min-1 (100 g)-1) was reduced by 50 +/- 12% (P < 0.05) but without significant changes in oxygen extraction or myocardial contractility. 4. The results show that although adenosine is unlikely to play a significant role in the regulation of the basal coronary blood flow, it can play a major role in the coronary active (functional) hyperaemia induced by atrial pacing to a high rate in the denervated heart of anaesthetized dogs.

Role of Adenosine in Postischemic Dysfunction of Coronary Innervation

We sought to determine the role of adenosine in the sustained but reversible decrease in cardiac neurotransmission that occurs after brief ischemia. Adult mongrel dogs were anesthetized and instrumented for measurements of heart rate, arterial pressure, and left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) and left circumflex coronary artery (LCX) flow velocities. Changes in coronary vascular resistance were measured during bilateral stimulation of the stellate ganglia. After beta-adrenergic blockade and bilateral vagotomy, stellate stimulation increased coronary vascular resistance in the LAD and LCX beds 28 +/- 2% and 30 +/- 3%, respectively. After a 15-minute infusion of adenosine into the LAD, the peak increase in LAD resistance was significantly reduced (18 +/- 2%) compared with LCX (34 +/- 5%) and control (P < .05, n = 6) resistance. The LAD response after infusion of the vasodilator papaverine was unchanged (n = 6). Intracoronary infusion of adenosine deaminase (n = 10) but not vehicle (n = 5) into the LAD during a 15-minute LAD occlusion prevented the attenuation in constriction to stellate stimulation. We conclude that adenosine, exogenously infused or endogenously produced, is capable of reducing cardiac neurotransmission.

Adenosine Contributes to Neutrophil-mediated Loss of Myocardial Function in Post-ischemic Guinea-pig Hearts

Tissue injury associated with myocardial ischemia is assumed to largely result from the toxic effects of active oxygen species generated by accumulated polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). Recent reports have indicated that adenosine can interfere with the PMN function in vitro. The potential of adenosine to influence PMN-mediated myocardial tissue injury was assessed using a model of ischemia-reperfusion injury developed in the isolated working guinea-pig heart perfused with homologous PMNs. After an initial work phase, hearts were subjected to 30 min low-flow ischemia (1 ml/min) in the absence and presence of PMNs. Work was resumed after 15 min reperfusion in a non-working mode (Langendorff). Adenosine in the coronary effluent reached a maximum of 0.2 μM during low-flow ischemia. Recoveries of external heart work and cardiac output were reduced from about 80% to about 40% by PMNs. Infusion of adenosine deaminase (ADA, 5 U/ml), theophylline (50 μM) or the selective A 1-antagonist dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (0.1 μM) prevented this effect. Furthermore, application of adenosine (0.1 μM) in combination with PMNs also resulted in a loss of pump function, even in the absence of a direct ischemic stimulus. The data indicate that adenosine contributes to post-ischemic, PMN-mediated damage in the isolate working guinea-pig heart model by a receptor-mediated action.

Myocardial adenosine stimulates release of cyclic adenosine monophosphate from capillary endothelial cells in guinea pig heart.

Activation of coronary endothelial cell adenylate cyclase was studied in the isolated guinea pig heart by prelabelling endothelial adenine nucleotides using intracoronary infusion of [3H]-adenosine, and measuring the coronary efflux of [3H]-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Hypoxia (30% O2) caused a 4-fold increase in coronary release of [3H]-cAMP, which was decreased by 63% by infusion of the adenosine receptor antagonist, theophylline (50 microM). During normoxic control conditions, degrading adenosine to non-vasoactive inosine by intracoronary infusion of adenosine deaminase (1.7 U/ml) caused a 20% decrease in the release of [3H]-cAMP. The effect of adenosine deaminase was reversed by a specific enzyme inhibitor erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine hydrochloride. Coronary efflux of [3H]-cAMP during intracoronary infusion of 1 microM adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate or adenosine monophosphate (AMP) (plus adenosine deaminase 8 U/ml) was only 13% of that due to 1 microM adenosine. Adenosine receptor blockers theophylline and CGS 15943A caused equivalent inhibition of the coronary vasodilator actions of adenosine and ATP. Intracoronary infusion of prostaglandin E1 and the beta 2-adrenergic agonist procaterol caused parallel, dose-dependent increases in coronary conductance and the venous release of [3H]-cAMP. It is concluded that (1) under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions, adenosine formed by the heart may activate endothelial cell adenylate cyclase via membrane adenosine receptors, (2) coronary receptors for adenosine and ATP share common ligand affinities but ATP receptors are not coupled to adenylate cyclase, and (3) other vasodilators known to activate endothelial adenylate cyclase in vitro cause parallel increases in coronary conductance and adenylate cyclase activity in the beating heart.

Effect of adenosine deaminase on cardiac interstitial adenosine.

Adenosine deaminase was infused into isolated perfused guinea pig hearts to determine its effect on myocardial adenosine levels. The enzyme was administered during constant coronary flow perfusion at 6.11 +/- 0.36 ml.min-1.g-1. Venous adenosine was measured in samples of pulmonary artery effluent; epicardial and endocardial adenosine were measured with the porous nylon disk technique. Infusion of adenosine deaminase at 2.4 and 4.8 U/ml produced adenosine deaminase activity of 0.92 +/- 0.09 and 2.33 +/- 0.15 U/ml, respectively, in epicardial fluid and 1.93 +/- 0.28 and 4.84 +/- 0.47 U/ml, respectively, in endocardial fluid. Aortic pressure was unchanged by infusion of adenosine deaminase at both infusion rates. Adenosine deaminase (data from both infusion rates pooled) reduced epicardial adenosine from 0.327 +/- 0.028 to 0.139 +/- 0.022 microM, endocardial adenosine from 4.61 +/- 0.42 to 1.64 +/- 0.20 microM, and venous adenosine from 0.017 +/- 0.02 to 0.003 +/- 0.001 microM. The data indicate that infused adenosine deaminase reaches the epicardial and endocardial interstitial fluid (ISF) compartments. The absence of any effect on coronary pressure suggests that adenosine may not be involved in resting basal coronary tone. The presence of significant residual adenosine despite adenosine deaminase infusion indicates that adenosine production in the unstressed isolated guinea pig heart exceeds the degradative capacity of infused adenosine deaminase. Previous studies in which it was assumed that almost all of the endogenous adenosine is inactivated by the infusion of adenosine deaminase should be reevaluated in light of these observations.

Role of adenosine for reactive hyperemia in normal and stunned porcine myocardium.

The role of adenosine for reactive hyperemia in normal and stunned myocardium was examined in 16 open-chest barbiturate-anesthetized pigs. Interstitial adenosine concentration was reduced or enhanced by intracoronary infusion of adenosine deaminase or the nucleoside transport inhibitor R 75231, respectively. In normal myocardium, adenosine deaminase reduced volume of hyperemia (Doppler flowmetry) after a 30-s left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) occlusion by 20% (6-34%; P < 0.05), whereas R 75231 increased volume of hyperemia by 15% (2-24%; P < 0.05). Adenosine deaminase reduced volume of hyperemia after a 2-min LAD occlusion by 27% (13-37%; P < 0.001), whereas R 75231 increased volume of hyperemia by 66% (53-159%; P < 0.001). Adenosine deaminase and R 75231 did not affect maximal hyperemia. Volume of hyperemia after a 2-min LAD occlusion was reduced in stunned myocardium (%systolic segment length shortening reduced by approximately 45%, ultrasonic technique) but not further altered by either adenosine deaminase or R 75231. These findings show that adenosine contributes to reactive hyperemia after 30-120 s of ischemia in normal myocardium and indicate that the reduced reactive hyperemia in stunned myocardium is due to reduced accumulation of adenosine during ischemia.

Functional role of intravascular coronary endothelial adenosine receptors

The endothelium is relatively ‘impermeable’ to adenosine. In addition, infusion of adenosine deaminase and transient infusion of large size adenosine agonists (molecular weight 100 kD) which are confined to the intravascular space depress effects of endogenous adenosine and retain physiologic activity respectively. Accordingly, the concept that intravascular adenosine may exert some of its action on the capillary lumen was tested by coupling the agonists: N 6-([aminoethylamino]carbonyl)methylphenyladenosine (ADAC) and N 6-octylamine adenosine (NOA) to carboxylated latex microspheres (0.07 μm diameter); thus, insuring their intravascular confinement. Our results demonstrated that sustained infusion of these particles into isolated saline perfused guinea pigs heart caused a decreased in coronary vascular resistance, ventricular contraction, spontaneous ventricular rhythm, inhibition of auricular ventricular transmission and glycolytic flux. These effects were reversible and specific since microspheres without purines had no effect and the adenosine antagonist sulphophenyltheophylline blocked these responses. Furthermore, the effects were not the result that during the passage of the sphere-agonist complex through the heart the covalent bond hydrolyzed, releasing free agonist. Our data indicate that selective activation of intravascular coronary purine receptors may cause the release of endothelial bioactive messengers that regulate the function and metabolism of vascular and cardiac cells.

Does adenosine modulate the natriuretic response to ANP in normal dogs?

To determine if the usual natriuretic response to ANP could be altered by raising intrarenal levels of adenosine, ANP was administered to normal anesthetized dogs at 100 ng.kg-1.min-1 i.v. before and after the administration of adenosine (3 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) into the left renal artery (n = 8). For each kidney, the group mean delta UNaV in response to ANP was unchanged by the presence of adenosine. However, following intrarenal infusion of adenosine, this unaltered average response for the infused kidney was achieved by either attenuation or exaggeration of the natriuresis to ANP in half the dogs, respectively. When intrarenal levels of extracellular adenosine were elevated by the i.v. infusion of dipyridamole in seven dogs, there was uniform exaggeration of an ANP-induced natriuresis by an average of 145 mu equiv./min. The provision of theophylline by itself (an adenosine antagonist) had no effect on UNaV but prevented the dipyridamole-induced exaggerated natriuresis to ANP. The infusion of adenosine deaminase into one renal artery reduced the natriuretic response to ANP. We conclude that elevated intrarenal levels of adenosine will exaggerate an ANP-induced natriuresis possibly by altering intracytosolic Ca2+.

Attenuation of exercise vasodilatation by adenosine deaminase in anaesthetized dogs.

1. In dogs anaesthetized with sodium pentobarbitone and artificially ventilated, the gracilis muscles were vascularly isolated and perfused at a constant flow of 28.4 +/- 4.6 ml min-1 (100 g muscle tissue)-1 (99.8 +/- 4.5% of maximum free flow, means +/- standard error of the mean (S.E.M.), n = 9). 2. Three to five minutes of electrical stimulation of the cut peripheral end of the obturator nerve (4 Hz, 6 V, 0.2 ms) resulted in muscle contraction (0.61 +/- 0.14 kg (100 g)-1 during solvent infusion and 0.56 +/- 0.10 kg (100 g)-1 during intra-arterial adenosine deaminase infusion (50 U min-1) and an immediate decrease in arterial perfusion pressure from 184.5 +/- 8.1 mmHg to 148.2 +/- 5.7 mmHg (18.7 +/- 3.4% decrease) during solvent infusion, and from 193.5 +/- 7.16 to 142.0 +/- 10.2 mmHg (25.4 +/- 6.1% decrease) during adenosine deaminase infusion 10 s after the commencement of muscle stimulation. After about 5 min of muscle contractions, the arterial perfusion pressure decreased to 120.8 +/- 7.8 mmHg (32.9 +/- 5.8% decrease) during solvent infusion, and to 152.8 +/- 11.2 mmHg (20.9 +/- 5.3% decrease) during adenosine deaminase infusion (i.e. 37.9 +/- 6.2% attenuation of the fall in arterial perfusion pressure). The time taken for 90% recovery of the arterial perfusion pressure was 72.1 +/- 10.9 s during solvent infusion, and 51.5 +/- 9.3 s during adenosine deaminase infusion (P less than 0.05). 3. Adenosine (2 x 10(-3) mol l-1) infusion in the resting muscle during solvent infusion (final concentration in arterial blood 1.3 x 10(-4) +/- 6.0 x 10(-5) mol l-1) resulted in a 34.8 +/- 7.2% fall in arterial perfusion pressure but a fall of only 7.2 +/- 1.8% during adenosine deaminase infusion (50 U min-1; P less than 0.05; n = 5) indicating that adenosine deaminase infused at 50 U min-1 was more than adequate to metabolize endogenous adenosine produced during muscle contractions. 4. These data suggest that adenosine contributes about 40% to the sustained-exercise vasodilatation under constant high-flow conditions and also in post-exercise vasodilatation, but does not contribute to the initiation of exercise vasodilatation.

Investigation of the role of multiple metabolic mediators in maintenance of arteriolar dilation distal to a severe coronary arterial stenosis

We tested the hypothesis that more than one mediator of coronary arteriolar tone may be active under certain experimental conditions and that as a result, impairment of blood flow regulation may not occur unless the function of all active and potentially active mediators is inhibited. Studies were conducted in nine closed-chest, sedated domestic swine instrumented with an artificial stenosis (80% luminal diameter reduction) in the left anterior descending coronary artery. Approximately 1 hour after stenosis placement and subsequent regional α-and β-adrenergic receptor blockade, sequential measurements of hemodynamics and regional myocardial blood flow were made at baseline, 15 minutes after completion of an indomethacin infusion distal to the stenosis, at the end of 20 minutes of arterial hyperoxia, after 10 minutes of adenosine deaminase infusion distal to the stenosis with hyperoxia maintained, and after 10 minutes of a combined 0.5 M NaOH plus 5 mM theophylline infusion distal to the stenosis with hyperoxia. A second experimental group was prepared in the same fashion. In this group, hemodynamic, flow, and metabolic measurements were made at baseline, and at 10, 20, and 30 minutes of NaOH (0.5 M) plus theophylline (5 mM) infusion and after 20 minutes of hyperoxia. In the primary group, results indicate that cumulative blockade of metabolic dilators (ie, prostacyclin, adenosine, tissue pH, Pco2, and Po2) impairs arteriolar relaxation by roughly 30% in endocardial layers distal to the stenosis but probably has no effect on tone in epicardial layers. Data obtained in the second experimental group support this interpretation because 1) distal zone endocardial flow failed to decline versus control at any time during the study and 2) epicardial flow also was unchanged versus control during the initial 20 minutes of NaOH plus theophylline infusion. Thus, maintenance of reduced arteriolar tone in epicardial layers distal to a severe coronary artery stenosis appears to be independent of metabolic mediators tested (ie, prostacyclin, adenosine, tissue pH, Pco2, and Po2) and only partially dependent on such mediators in endocardial layers.

Role of Adenosine in Catecholamine-Induced Global Coronary Functional Hyperemia in Isolated Guinea Pig Hearts

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that endogenous adenosine participates in the global coronary functional hyperemia accompanying intracoronary infusions of norepinephrine (NE) and isoproterenol (ISO). Intracoronary adenosine deaminase (ADA) was employed to test the hypothesis in isolated, perfused guinea pig hearts. We measured coronary perfusate flow (CPF) at a constant coronary perfusion pressure. Heart rate (HR), left ventricular pressure, and its rate of development were also measured. Global myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2) and oxygen extraction were calculated, and blood gases and pH were measured routinely in inflow and outflow perfusate samples. In the absence of ADA, NE and ISO increased HR 67 +/- 6 and 106 +/- 11 beats.min-1, left ventricular pressure development 519 +/- 46 and 375 +/- 35 mm Hg.s-1, MVO2 22 +/- 2 and 28 +/- 3 microliters.min-1.g-1, and CPF 1.6 +/- 0.2 and 2.2 +/- 0.2 ml.min-1.g-1, respectively. With constant infusion of ADA (4.5 U.min-1.g-1, a dose which produces no direct effects on cardiac function) for 4 min, similar increments in HR and left ventricular pressure development were achieved with both catecholamines. Corresponding changes in MVO2 (9 +/- 2 and 6 +/- 3 microliters.min-1.g-1) were significantly less than those seen in the absence of ADA. Moreover, CPF did not increase in response to NE and ISO in the presence of ADA. These findings support an important role for adenosine in catecholamine-induced global coronary functional hyperemia in isolated, perfused guinea pig hearts.

Endogenous adenosine improves work rate to oxygen consumption ratio in catecholamine stimulated isovolumic rat heart.

This study examines the possibility that endogenous adenosine modulates efficiency in isovolumic perfused rat hearts stimulated with isoproterenol or norepinephrine. Efficiency in these hearts is calculated as the rate of pressure work divided by the myocardial oxygen consumption. Within 2 min of infusion of isoproterenol (50 nM), heart rate increased by 35%, the rate pressure product by 290%, oxygen consumption by 142%, and efficiency by 67%. Infusion of adenosine deaminase (2-4 IU/ml), or 8-phenyltheophylline (5 microM), into stimulated hearts augmented the increase in heart rate by 40-45%, rate-pressure product by 18-20%, and oxygen consumption by 50-55%. Efficiency was reduced by 30-35%. Adenosine release into the coronary venous effluent increased from 195 +/- 20 pmol/min/g to 2400 +/- 180 pmol/min/g after 5 min. A similar pattern of results was observed when norepinephrine (0.1 mM) was used. The results indicate that extracellular adenosine, released by catecholamine treatment, inhibits the effects of the catecholamines on rate and contractility. Consequently, adenosine reduces cardiac work (rate-pressure product), but in so doing, improves efficiency.

Adenosine potentiates insulin-stimulated myocardial glucose uptake in vivo.

Myocardial adenosine (ADO) has long been regarded as a regulator of coronary blood flow. In other tissues, such as adipose and skeletal muscle, much attention has focused on the role of ADO as a metabolic regulator of the actions of insulin. In the present study, we determined the effect of ADO infusion on insulin-stimulated myocardial glucose uptake (MGU). Mongrel dogs of either sex were instrumented to obtain arterial-coronary sinus differences for glucose, lactate, and oxygen. These were multiplied by circumflex artery blood flow (Q) to obtain uptake values. Measurements were made before and during hyperinsulinemic (4 U/min)-euglycemic clamp (clamp) with intracoronary infusions of saline, ADO, adenosine deaminase (ADA), or nitroprusside (NP). During clamp, MGU increased from a basal value of 3.0 +/- 0.8 mg/min (mean +/- SE) to 5.53 +/- 0.8 mg/min. Adenosine infusion potentiated this response, raising MGU further to 9.02 +/- 1.1 mg/min while not significantly affecting lactate or oxygen uptakes. Infusion of ADA confirmed the specificity of the response by blocking the metabolic effect of exogenously infused ADO. When NP was infused, Q increased significantly without altering MGU, indicating that the metabolic response to ADO was independent of the changes it caused in Q. A dose-response relationship existed between ADO and insulin-stimulated MGU. The metabolic response to ADO was more sensitive than the vasodilator response. It is concluded that ADO acts as a regulator of insulin in heart. This metabolic regulation occurs independent of changes in coronary blood flow.

Coronary vasodilation during global myocardial hypoxia: effects of adenosine deaminase

Isolated, perfused guinea pig hearts were infused with intracoronary adenosine deaminase to investigate the contribution of endogenous adenosine to the coronary vasodilation of global myocardial hypoxia. Coronary perfusate pressure was held constant at 70 cmH2O throughout the experiment. We measured retrograde aortic inflow (assumed to equal total antegrade coronary flow) for 3-5 min of hypoxia before and 4 min after initiation of intracoronary adenosine deaminase infusion (4 U.g-1.min-1). In the absence of adenosine deaminase mild global hypoxia increased coronary perfusate flow 60%. In the presence of adenosine deaminase the response was limited to a 5% increment. Myocardial O2 consumption was significantly reduced during hypoxia in the presence of adenosine deaminase. In a second group of hearts, moderate global hypoxia increased coronary perfusate flow 125%. This was limited to a 53% increment in the presence of adenosine deaminase. Adenosine deaminase vehicle had no measurable effect on coronary perfusate flow responses to repeat mild hypoxia in a third group of hearts. We conclude that endogenous adenosine is singularly important in the coronary vasodilation of mild global myocardial hypoxia, but that other regulatory mechanisms might also contribute during moderate hypoxia.

Role of adenosine in coronary vasodilation during exercise.

This study examined the hypothesis that increases in myocardial blood flow during exercise are mediated by adenosine-induced coronary vasodilation. Active hyperemia associated with graded treadmill exercise and coronary reactive hyperemia were examined in chronically instrumented awake dogs during control conditions, after intracoronary infusion of adenosine deaminase (5 units/kg/min for 10 minutes), and after adenosine receptor blockade with 8-phenyltheophylline. Both adenosine deaminase and 8-phenyltheophylline caused a rightward shift of the dose-response curve to intracoronary adenosine; 8-phenyltheophylline was significantly more potent than adenosine deaminase. Adenosine deaminase caused a 33 +/- 7 to 39 +/- 3% decrease in reactive hyperemia blood flow following coronary occlusions of 5-20 seconds duration, respectively, while 8-phenyltheophylline produced a 40 +/- 6 to 62 +/- 8% decrease in reactive hyperemia. Increasing myocardial oxygen consumption during treadmill exercise was associated with progressive increase of coronary blood flow. Neither adenosine deaminase nor 8-phenyltheophylline attenuated the increase in coronary blood flow or the decrease of coronary vascular resistance during exercise. Neither agent altered the relation between myocardial oxygen consumption and coronary blood flow. Thus, although both adenosine deaminase and 8-phenyltheophylline antagonized coronary vasodilation in response to exogenous adenosine and blunted coronary reactive hyperemia, neither agent impaired coronary vasodilation associated with increased myocardial oxygen requirements produced by exercise. These findings fail to support a substantial role for adenosine in mediating coronary vasodilation during exercise.

Contribution of adenosine to changes in coronary flow in metabolically stimulated rat heart.

The extent to which endogenous, extracellular adenosine mediates increased coronary flow in crystalloid-perfused, isovolumic rat hearts stimulated with either norepinephrine or isoproterenol was examined. When infused into the coronary circulation, norepinephrine (1 x 10(-7) M) rapidly increased left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) from 81 +/- 6 to 235 +/- 13 mmHg (1 mmHg = 133.3 Pa) and coronary flow from 12.7 +/- 0.8 to 18.4 +/- 0.7 mL.min-1.g-1. The presence of either adenosine deaminase (2 U.mL-1) or the adenosine receptor antagonist, 8-phenyltheophylline (5 x 10(-6) M) in the perfusate of norepinephrine-stimulated hearts augmented the increase in LVDP and +/- dP/dtmax by 10-20% but reduced the increase in coronary flow by 34%. Doubling the rate of adenosine deaminase infusion, or infusing the enzyme and 8-phenyltheophylline together did not alter their inhibitory effectiveness. Similar results were observed with hearts stimulated with isoproterenol (5 x 10(-8) M). These data show that about a third of the vasodilation that results from the metabolic stimulation of rat heart by catecholamines is due to the receptor-mediated action of extracellular adenosine.

Systemic adenosine deaminase administration does not reduce active hyperemia in running rats

The importance of adenosine in controlling the magnitude and distribution of blood flow among and within skeletal muscles in rats during slow locomotor exercise was tested by systemic infusion of adenosine deaminase (ADA). Blood flows were measured using labeled microspheres before exercise and at 0.5, 15, and 30 min of fast treadmill walking at 15 m/min. An initial infusion of ADA (1,000 U/kg) was given 30 min before the first blood flow measurement and a second injection (1,000 U/kg) was given 5 min into exercise. These infusions maintained ADA activity above 5 U/ml blood throughout the experimental period. This plasma concentration of ADA was shown to be sufficient to result in a 64% decrease in muscle adenosine levels during ischemic contraction. Blood flows were measured in all of the muscles of the hindlimb (28 samples) and in various nonmuscular tissues in ADA-treated and control rats. Preexercise blood flows were primarily directed to slow-twitch muscles and exercise blood flows were highest in muscles with fast-twitch oxidative fibers. ADA treatment did not reduce total muscle blood flow or exercise blood flows in any of the muscles at any time. These findings do not support the hypothesis that adenosine plays an essential role in controlling muscle blood flow in skeletal muscles during normal locomotor activity.

Role of adenosine in mediating the coronary vasodilative response to acute hypoxia.

To test the hypothesis that adenosine is required to mediate the coronary vasodilative response to acute hypoxia haemodynamic indices, regional myocardial blood flow, and oxygen and lactate metabolism were measured in nine closed chest anaesthetised domestic swine at control, after 3-5 min of 100% nitrogen inhalation, at second control, and after 3-5 min of 100% nitrogen inhalation plus adenosine deaminase infusion in the left anterior descending coronary artery. Cardiac lymph adenosine deaminase concentration was also measured in a separate group of four animals previously reported on. Heart rate was held constant by atrial pacing during the study. Aortic mean pressure did not change. Changes in arterial and anterior interventricular vein pH, PO2, PCO2, and oxygen content were similar for each intervention. Transmural left anterior descending artery zone flow increased significantly (p less than 0.01) compared with control (1.22(0.23) ml.min-1.g-1; mean(SD)) in response to hypoxia (2.73(0.92)). Intracoronary adenosine deaminase infusion (167 nmol.s-1), however, failed to blunt the flow response to hypoxia (1.33(0.30) to 2.79(1.32); second control to hypoxia plus adenosine deaminase respectively, p less than 0.01). Mean adenosine deaminase activity (nmol.s-1) in cardiac lymph was 105(85) at the end of 10 min of intracoronary infusion (167 nmol.s-1) and 203 (148) nmol.s-1 at the end of 15 min.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)