Losartan and atenolol on hypertension induced by adenosine receptor blockade.

1. The prolonged infusion of 1,3-dipropyl-8-sulfophenylxanthine (DPSPX), a non-selective antagonist of adenosine receptors, induces hypertension, an increase in plasma renin activity and morphological cardiovascular changes. 2. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of losartan, a selective AT1 receptor antagonist, and atenolol, a beta-adrenoceptor antagonist, on DPSPX-induced hypertension. 3. Male Wistar rats (250-300 g, n = 4-6) were treated for 1 or 4 weeks with: saline i.p.; DPSPX (90 microg kg(-1) h(-1)) i.p.; losartan (15 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) p.o.; atenolol (25 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) p.o.; DPSPX (90 microg kg(-1) h(-1)) i.p. + losartan (15 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) p.o.; DPSPX (90 microg kg(-1) h(-1)) i.p. + atenolol (25 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) p.o. Blood pressure was measured by the 'tail-cuff' method in conscious animals. Fragments of the mesenteric and tail arteries were processed for morphological study and the mean diameter of the vascular smooth muscle cells was determined. 4. DPSPX increased blood pressure. Losartan and atenolol prevented this rise but had no effect on blood pressure of control rats. DPSPX-treated groups showed hypertrophy of the vascular smooth muscle cells and proliferation of subintimal cells. Losartan but not atenolol prevented these changes. Losartan had no effect on the vascular morphology of control rats, while treatment with atenolol for 4 weeks induced hypertrophy of the vascular smooth muscle cells. 5. Both losartan and atenolol counteract the development of DPSPX-induced hypertension but only losartan prevents the alterations in vascular morphology.

Platelet aggregability in cardiac syndrome X.

AIMS: To assess platelet aggregability at rest and in response to exercise in patients with cardiac syndrome X (anginal chest pain, ST-segment depression on exercise, angiographically normal coronary arteries). METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a symptom/sign-limited exercise test in 31 patients with syndrome X, 25 patients with coronary artery disease and 29 healthy subjects. Platelet aggregability was measured in flowing whole blood at baseline, at peak exercise, and after 30 and 120 min, as the time to occlude a collagen/adenosine diphosphate coated ring (aggregation time). Resting aggregation time was shorter in syndrome X patients (83.2+/-12 s), compared to patients with coronary disease (94.0+/-18 s, P<0.01) and to healthy subjects (96.4+/-21 s, P<0.01). With exercise, aggregation time did not change in healthy controls, decreased in patients with coronary disease (-13.8 s at peak; 95% CI, -10.2, -17.3 s;P<0.001), but increased in syndrome X (+17.4 s 30 min after exercise; 95% CI, +10.4, +24.4 s;P<0.0001). The intravenous administration of an adenosine antagonist (theophylline) prevented the exercise-induced prolongation of aggregation time in syndrome X patients (n=11), but had no effect in healthy controls (n=11). CONCLUSION: Platelet aggregability at rest was increased in syndrome X patients, compared to patients with coronary artery disease and healthy subjects. In contrast to patients with coronary disease, however, platelet aggregability was reduced by exercise. This response was prevented by theophylline, strongly suggesting the involvement of adenosine.

Adenosine mediates relaxation of human small resistance-like coronary arteries via A2B receptors.

1. The receptor subtype and mechanisms underlying relaxation to adenosine were examined in human isolated small coronary arteries contracted with the thromboxane A2 mimetic, 1,5,5-hydroxy-11alpha, 9alpha-(epoxymethano)prosta-5Z, 13E-dienoic acid (U46619) to approximately 50% of their maximum contraction to K+ (125 mM) depolarization (Fmax). Relaxations were normalized as percentages of the 50% Fmax contraction. 2. Adenosine caused concentration-dependent relaxations (pEC50, 5.95+/-0.20; maximum relaxation (Rmax), 96.7+/-1.4%) that were unaffected by either combined treatment with the nitric oxide inhibitors, NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG; 100 microM) and oxyhaemoglobin (HbO; 20 microM) or the ATP-dependent K+ channel (KATP) inhibitor, glibenclamide (10 microM). The pEC50 but not Rmax to adenosine was significantly reduced by high extracellular K+ (30 mM). Relaxations to the adenylate cyclase activator, forskolin, however, were unaffected by high K+ (30 mM). 3. Adenosine and a range of adenosine analogues, adenosine, 2-chloroadenosine (2-CADO), 5'-N-ethyl-carboxamidoadenosine (NECA), R(-)-N6-(2-phenylisopropyl)-adenosine (R-PIA), S(+)-N6-(2-phenylisopropyl)-adenosine (S-PIA), N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA), 1-deoxy-1-[6-[[(3-iodophenyl)methyl]amino]-9H-purin-9-yl]-N-methyl-beta- D-ribofuranuronamide (IB-MECA), 2-p-(2-carboxyethyl)phenethylamino-5'-N-ethylcarboxamido adenosine hydrochloride (CGS 21680), relaxed arteries with a rank order of potency of NECA= 2-CADO >adenosine= IB-MECA = R-PIA= CPA > S-PIA)> CGS 21680. 4. Sensitivity but not Rmax to adenosine was significantly reduced approximately 80 and 20 fold by the non-selective adenosine receptor antagonist, 8-(p-sulphophenyl)theophylline (8-SPT) and the A2 receptor antagonist, 3,7-dimethyl-1-propargylxanthine (DMPX). By contrast, the A1-selective antagonist, 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (DPCPX) had no effect on pEC50 or Rmax to adenosine. 5. These results suggest that A2B receptors mediate relaxation to adenosine in human small coronary arteries which is independent of NO but dependent in part on a K+-sensitive mechanism.

Chronic administration of adenosine A3 receptor agonist and cerebral ischemia: neuronal and glial effects.

We have previously shown that chronic administration of the selective A3 receptor agonist N6-(3-iodobenzyl)-5'-N-methylcarboxoamidoadenosine (IB-MECA) leads to a significant improvement of postocclusive cerebral blood flow, and protects against neuronal damage and mortality induced by severe forebrain ischemia in gerbils. Using immunocytochemical methods we now show that chronic with IB-MECA results in a significant preservation of ischemia-sensitive microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP-2), enhancement of the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and a very intense depression of nitric oxide synthase in the brain of postischemic gerbils. These changes demonstrate that the cerebroprotective actions of chronically administered IB-MECA involve both neurons and glial cells, and indicate the possibility of distinct mechanisms that are affected in the course of chronic administration of the drug.