adenosine-kinase and Hypoxia

To what extent hypoxia alters the adenosine (ADO) system and impacts on cardiac function during embryogenesis is not known. Ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (CD39), ecto-5'-nucleotidase (CD73), adenosine kinase (AdK), adenosine deaminase (ADA), equilibrative (ENT1,3,4), and concentrative (CNT3) transporters and ADO receptors A1, A2A, A2B, and A3 constitute the adenosinergic system. During the first 4 days of development chick embryos were exposed in ovo to normoxia followed or not followed by 6 h hypoxia. ADO and glycogen content and mRNA expression of the genes were determined in the atria, ventricle, and outflow tract of the normoxic (N) and hypoxic (H) hearts. Electrocardiogram and ventricular shortening of the N and H hearts were recorded ex vivo throughout anoxia/reoxygenation ± ADO. Under basal conditions, CD39, CD73, ADK, ADA, ENT1,3,4, CNT3, and ADO receptors were differentially expressed in the atria, ventricle, and outflow tract. In H hearts ADO level doubled, glycogen decreased, and mRNA expression of all the investigated genes was downregulated by hypoxia, except for A2A and A3 receptors. The most rapid and marked downregulation was found for ADA in atria. H hearts were arrhythmic and more vulnerable to anoxia-reoxygenation than N hearts. Despite downregulation of the genes, exposure of isolated hearts to ADO 1) preserved glycogen through activation of A1 receptor and Akt-GSK3β-GS pathway, 2) prolonged activity and improved conduction under anoxia, and 3) restored QT interval in H hearts. Thus hypoxia-induced downregulation of the adenosinergic system can be regarded as a coping response, limiting the detrimental accumulation of ADO without interfering with ADO signaling.

Topics: 5'-Nucleotidase; Adaptation, Physiological; Adenosine; Adenosine Kinase; Animals; Antigens, CD; Apyrase; Chick Embryo; Energy Metabolism; Equilibrative Nucleoside Transport Proteins; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Glycogen; Glycogen Synthase; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; Heart; Hypoxia; Membrane Transport Proteins; Myocardium; Organogenesis; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Receptors, Purinergic P1; RNA, Messenger; Signal Transduction; Time Factors

Extracellular adenosine has been implicated in vascular adaptation to hypoxia. Based on the observation that increases in intracellular adenosine can effectively elevate extracellular adenosine, we studied the contribution of adenosine kinase (AK, intracellular conversion of adenosine to adenosine monophosphate [AMP]) to vascular adenosine responses. Initial in vitro studies of ambient hypoxia revealed prominent repression of endothelial AK transcript (85% +/- 2% reduction), protein, and function. Transcription factor binding assays and hypoxia inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1alpha) loss- and gain-of-function studies suggested a role for HIF-1alpha in transcriptional repression of AK. Moreover, repression of AK by ambient hypoxia was abolished in conditional HIF-1alpha mutant mice in vivo. Studies of endothelial barrier function revealed that inhibition or siRNA repression of AK is associated with enhanced adenosine-dependent barrier responses in vitro. Moreover, in vivo studies of vascular barrier function demonstrated that AK inhibition with 5'-iodotubericidin (1 mg/kg prior to hypoxia) significantly attenuated hypoxia-induced vascular leakage in multiple organs and reduced hypoxia-associated increases in lung water. Taken together, our data reveal a critical role of AK in modulating vascular adenosine responses and suggest pharmacologic inhibitors of AK in the treatment of conditions associated with hypoxia-induced vascular leakage (eg, sepsis or acute lung injury).

Topics: Adenosine; Adenosine Kinase; Animals; Caco-2 Cells; Capillary Permeability; Colon; Disease Models, Animal; Endothelial Cells; Extravascular Lung Water; Humans; Hypoxia; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; Kidney; Lung; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Mutant Strains; RNA, Small Interfering; Signal Transduction; Umbilical Veins

We tested whether hypoxia-induced coronary artery dilatation could be mediated by an increase in adenosine concentration within the coronary artery wall or by an increase in adenosine sensitivity. Porcine left anterior descendent coronary arteries, precontracted with prostaglandin F(2alpha) (10(-5) M), were mounted in a pressure myograph and microdialysis catheters were inserted into the tunica media. Dialysate adenosine concentrations were analysed by HPLC. Glucose, lactate and pyruvate were measured by an automated spectrophotometric kinetic enzymatic analyser. The exchange fraction of [(14)C]adenosine over the microdialysis membrane increased from 0.32 +/- 0.02 to 0.46 +/- 0.02 (n = 4, P < 0.01) during the study period. At baseline, interstitial adenosine was in the region of 10 nM which is significantly less than previously found myocardial concentrations. Hypoxia (P(O(2)) 30 mmHg for 60 min, n = 5) increased coronary diameters by 20.0 +/- 2.6% (versus continuous oxygenation -3.1 +/- 2.4%, n = 6, P < 0.001) but interstitial adenosine concentration fell. Blockade of adenosine deaminase (with erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl-)-adenine, 5 microM), adenosine kinase (with iodotubericidine, 10 microM) and adenosine transport (with n-nitrobenzylthioinosine, 1 microM) increased interstitial adenosine but the increase was unrelated to hypoxia or diameter. A coronary dilatation similar to that during hypoxia could be obtained with 30 microM of adenosine in the organ bath and the resulting interstitial adenosine concentrations (n = 5) were 20 times higher than the adenosine concentration measured during hypoxia. Adenosine concentration-response experiments showed vasodilatation to be more pronounced during hypoxia (n = 9) than during normoxia (n = 9, P < 0.001) and the A(2A) receptor antagonist ZM241385 (20 nM, n = 5), attenuated hypoxia-induced vasodilatation while the selective A(2B) receptor antagonist MRS1754 (20 nM, n = 4), had no effect. The lactate/pyruvate ratio was significantly increased in hypoxic arteries but did not correlate with adenosine concentration. We conclude that hypoxia-induced coronary artery dilatation is not mediated by increased adenosine produced within the artery wall but might be facilitated by increased adenosine sensitivity at the A(2A) receptor level.

Topics: Acetamides; Adenosine; Adenosine A2 Receptor Antagonists; Adenosine Deaminase; Adenosine Deaminase Inhibitors; Adenosine Kinase; Animals; Coronary Vessels; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Glucose; Hypoxia; In Vitro Techniques; Lactates; Purines; Pyruvic Acid; Receptor, Adenosine A2A; Receptor, Adenosine A2B; Swine; Triazines; Triazoles; Vasodilation

Both ischemia and hypoxia increase adenosine production in the heart. This study tested whether hypoxia increases adenosine production in the coronary artery via ecto-5'-nucleotidase and the role of protein kinase C in this condition. Canine left circumflex coronary artery was rapidly removed and incubated in 10 mL Krebs-Henseleit solution for 30 minutes. The Krebs-Henseleit solution contained 5'-iodotubercidin and 2'-deoxycoformycin, which inhibit adenosine kinase and adenosine deaminase, respectively. Adenosine production was measured in intact coronary arteries under normoxic conditions (16.2 +/- 1.2 pmol/mg protein). Adenosine production was reduced by 27% after removal of endothelium. Ecto-5'-nucleotidase activity of coronary arteries with and without endothelium was 51 +/- 6 and 41 +/- 4 nmol/mg protein per minute under normoxic conditions. Hypoxia increased adenosine production to 27.0 +/- 2.3 and 20.0 +/- 0.8 pmol/mg protein with and without endothelium. Hypoxia also increased ecto-5'-nucleotidase activity of coronary arteries with and without endothelium (74 +/- 8 and 53 +/- 5 nmol/mg protein per minute; P < .05). Increases in adenosine production under hypoxic conditions were blunted by both an inhibitor of ecto-5'-nucleotidase and inhibitors of protein kinase C. Activation of ecto-5'-nucleotidase was blunted by an inhibitor of protein kinase C. These results indicate that hypoxia increased extracellular adenosine production and activated ecto-5'-nucleotidase via activation of protein kinase C in coronary arterial smooth muscle and endothelial cells. Increased adenosine production in coronary arteries during hypoxia may contribute to coronary vasodilation and cardioprotection against ischemic injury.

Topics: 5'-Nucleotidase; Adenosine; Adenosine Deaminase Inhibitors; Adenosine Kinase; Animals; Arteries; Coronary Vessels; Dogs; Enzyme Activation; Hypoxia; In Vitro Techniques; Pentostatin; Protein Kinase C; Tubercidin

This study was conducted to elucidate the role of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (SAH) hydrolase, 5'-nucleotidase and adenosine kinase in the production and removal of adenosine in the isolated guinea pig heart during normoxic (95% O2) and hypoxic (30% O2) perfusion. Using an adenosine kinase inhibitor (5'-amino-5'-deoxy-adenosine; 50 microM) and an adenosine deaminase inhibitor (EHNA; 5 microM) the total steady-state production rate of adenosine in the heart was estimated to be greater than 1.2 nmol.min-1 per g wet wt., during normoxia. Most (95%) of the SAH-derived adenosine is salvaged by adenosine kinase action. The rate of adenosine phosphorylation increased 3-fold when isolated hearts were perfused with hypoxic medium, suggesting that adenosine kinase is not substrate-saturated under normoxic conditions. The steady-state production of adenosine was also estimated during hypoxia (5.9 nmol-min-1 per g wet wt.) and compared with previously determined transmethylation rate during hypoxia (1.12 nmol.min-1 x g wet wt.). In an attempt to assess the in-vivo activity of cytosolic 5'-nucleotidase, the 5'-AMP pool was labelled by perfusing the isolated hearts with tricyclic nucleoside (TCN) which became phosphorylated (TCN-P). The release rate of both adenosine and TCN in the post-labelling phase was increased by hypoxic perfusion, suggesting that the increased rate of 5'-AMP hydrolysis may be due to increased availability of substrate, as well as activation of 5'-nucleotidase. Our findings suggest that during normoxic perfusion a significant amount of adenosine is derived from an apparently oxygen-independent mechanism (cellular transmethylation) whereas during hypoxic perfusion hydrolysis of adenine nucleotides to adenosine prevails.

Topics: 5'-Nucleotidase; Adenosine; Adenosine Kinase; Adenosylhomocysteinase; Animals; Coronary Circulation; Energy Metabolism; Guinea Pigs; Hydrolases; Hydrolysis; Hypoxia; In Vitro Techniques; Myocardium; S-Adenosylhomocysteine

The behavior of a model for the partial depletion of adenine nucleotides in the perfused rat heart has been compared for ischemic and high coronary flow anoxic conditions. The accumulation of noradrenaline in the interstitial fluid greatly activates adenylate cyclase ultimately resulting in the degradation of 11.02 micronmol/g dry wt of ATP to adenosine, inosine, and hypoxanthine in 30 min. The high coronary flow rate during anoxic perfusion promotes washout of the noradrenaline from the interstitial fluid so that the hormone accumulates to only one fifth of its highest level in ischemia. This results in only slight activation of adenylate cyclase and in insignificant degradation of ATP in 2 min. The behavior of the model has been examined for two aerobic conditions--a transition from light to heavy work (2 min) and a transition from substrate-free to glucose perfusion (12 min), In both cases adenylate cyclase was not activated above its basal activity, and insignificant depletion of adenine nucleotides is predicted by the model.

Topics: Adenine Nucleotides; Adenosine Deaminase; Adenosine Kinase; Adenosine Monophosphate; Adenylyl Cyclases; Animals; Cell Membrane; Computers; Coronary Disease; Cyclic AMP; Extracellular Space; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Hypoxia; Models, Biological; Myocardium; Norepinephrine; Purine Nucleosides; Rats