Potent Adenosine Kinase Inhibitors Research Articles

Halogenated pyrrolopyrimidine analogues of adenosine from marine organisms: Pharmacological activities and potent inhibition of adenosine kinase

Two novel halogenated pyrrolopyrimidine analogues of adenosine, isolated from marine sources, have been examined for pharmacological and biochemical activities. 4-Amino-5-bromopyrrolo [2,3-d]pyrimidine, from a sponge of the genus Echinodictyum, had bronchodilator activity at least as potent as theophylline but with a different biochemical profile; unlike theophylline it had no antagonist activity at CNS adenosine receptors and it was quite a potent inhibitor of adenosine uptake and adenosine kinase in brain tissue. 5′:-Deoxy-5-iodotubercidin, isolated from the red alga Hypnea valentine, caused potent muscle relaxation and hypothermia when injected into mice. This compound was a very potent inhibitor of adenosine uptake into rat and guinea-pig brain slices and an extremely potent inhibitor of adenosine kinase from guinea-pig brain and rat brain and liver. Neither of these two pyrrolopyrimidine analogues was a substrate for, or an inhibitor of, adenosine deaminase. Neither compound appeared to have any direct agonist activity on guinea-pig brain adenosine-stimulated adenylate cyclase (A2 adenosine receptors). 5′:-Deoxy-5-iodotubercidin is unique in two respects: it appears to be the first naturally-occurring example of a 5′:-deoxyribosyl nucleoside and is the first example of a specifically iodinated nucleoside from natural sources. It may be the most potent adenosine kinase inhibitor yet described and, by virtue of its structure, may prove to be the most specific.

Evidence for a substrate cycle between AMP and adenosine in isolated hepatocytes.

The effect of adenosine on the metabolism of prelabeled adenine nucleotides was investigated in isolated hepatocytes. Adenosine caused an approximately equal to 2-fold increase in the ATP content of the cells. This effect was in part counteracted by an increased rate of adenine nucleotide catabolism that could be explained by a stimulation of both AMP deaminase (AMP aminohydrolase, EC 3.5.4.6) and the cytoplasmic 5'-nucleotidase (5'-ribonucleotide phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.3.5) because of the increased concentration of ATP. The unexpected finding that labeled adenosine was formed immediately after the addition of the unlabeled nucleoside could be explained by the trapping effect of adenosine. An accumulation of labeled adenosine was observed also in the presence of 5-iodotubercidin, a potent inhibitor of adenosine kinase (ATP:adenosine 5'-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.20). Under these conditions, there was a decrease in the concentration of ATP in the cell and a 2- to 3-fold increase in the rate of formation of allantoin. This formation of adenosine was only slightly decreased by inhibition of the membranous 5'-nucleotidase; it led to the accumulation of S-adenosylhomocysteine in the presence of coformycin and an excess of L-homocysteine. It was concluded that, under basal conditions, the cytoplasmic 5'-nucleotidase present in the liver cell continuously produces adenosine, which is immediately reconverted into AMP by adenosine kinase, without giving rise to allantoin. This futile cycle between AMP and adenosine amounts to at least 20 nmol/min per g of liver and, thus, exceeds the basic rate of allantoin formation.