Doppler-Derived Renal Functional Reserve in the Prediction of Postoperative Acute Kidney Injury in Patients Undergoing Robotic Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative acute kidney injury (PO-AKI) is a frequent complication after surgery. Various tools have been proposed to identify patients at high risk for AKI, including preoperative serum creatinine or estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), urinary cell cycle arrest, and tubular damage biomarkers; however, none of these can appropriately assess AKI risk before surgery. Renal functional reserve (RFR) screened by the Doppler-derived intraparenchymal renal resistive index variation (IRRIV) test has been proposed to identify patients at risk for AKI before a kidney insult. IRRIV test has been developed in healthy individuals and previously investigated in cardiac surgery patients. This study aims to evaluate the value of the IRRIV test in identifying PO-AKI among patients undergoing robotic abdominal surgery in the Trendelenburg position for pelvic oncological disease. METHODS: We performed a prospective, double-blinded, observational study. Preoperative baseline renal function and RFR were assessed in 53 patients with baseline eGFR >60 mL/min/1.73 m2, undergoing robotic surgery in the Trendelenburg position for pelvic oncological disease. The capability of Doppler-derived RFR in predicting PO-AKI was investigated with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC-AUC). RESULTS: Approximately 15.1% of patients developed AKI within the first 3 postoperative days. Thirty-one (58.5%) patients had a physiologic delta-RRI (ie, ≥0.05), while 22 (41.5%) patients did not. The ROC-AUC for PO-AKI was 0.85 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.74-0.97; P = .007) for serum creatinine, 0.84 (95% CI, 0.71-0.96; P = .006) for eGFR, and 0.84 (95% CI, 0.78-0.91; P = .017) for delta-RRI. When combined with eGFR, the ROC-AUC for delta-RRI was 0.95 (95% CI, 0.9-1). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that the preoperative assessment of Doppler-derived RFR combined with baseline renal function improves the capability of identifying patients at high risk for PO-AKI with eGFR >60 mL/min/1.73 m2 after robotic abdominal surgery in Trendelenburg position for pelvic oncological disease.

Effects of cluster headache preventatives on mouse hypothalamic transcriptional homeostasis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how cluster headache preventatives verapamil, lithium and prednisone affect expression of hypothalamic genes involved in chronobiology. METHODS: C57Bl/6 mice were exposed to daily, oral treatment with verapamil, lithium, prednisone or amitriptyline (as negative control), and transcripts of multiple genes quantified in the anterior, lateral and posterior hypothalamus. RESULTS: Verapamil, lithium or prednisone did not affect expression of clock genes of the anterior hypothalamus (Clock, Bmal1, Cry1/2 and Per1/2). Prednisone altered expression of hypothalamic neuropeptides melanin-concentrating hormone and histidine decarboxylase within the lateral and posterior hypothalamus, respectively. The three preventatives did not affect expression of the neurohypophyseal hormones oxytocin and arginine-vasopressin in the posterior hypothalamus. Conversely, amitriptyline reduced mRNA levels of Clock, oxytocin and arginine-vasopressin. CONCLUSION: Data suggest that cluster headache preventatives act upstream or downstream from the hypothalamus. Our findings provide new insights on hypothalamic homeostasis during cluster headache prophylaxis, as well as neurochemistry underlying cluster headache treatment.

The Impact of Fast Microbiology in Intensive Care Units in the Era of Antibiotic Resistance: An Observational Retrospective Study.

The increasing prevalence of multi-drug-resistant bacteria responsible for bloodstream infections (BSIs) makes therapeutic choices progressively more complex. Fast microbiology quickly detects the presence of pathogens and clinically relevant determinants of antibiotic resistance, offering the potential for early administration of antibiotics. In this retrospective observational study, we comparatively evaluated the performances of FilmArray and the current standard method using blood samples collected from intensive care unit (ICU) patients with suspected BSI. A full agreement with the standard was observed in 97/102 samples (95.1 ± 4.2%), a mismatch in 3/102 samples (2.9 ± 3.2%) and detection failure in 2/102 cases (1.96 ± 2.7%). Statistical analysis demonstrated a near-perfect/perfect level of agreement between the two methods, with an overall degree of agreement of 95%. The high performance demonstrated by the FilmArray could allow a "watch and wait" approach helping clinicians in decision-making processes related to choice and initiation of the antimicrobial therapy, thus avoiding ineffective and excessive use of drugs.

Neuroprotection induced by dexpramipexole delays disease progression in a mouse model of progressive multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Drugs able to counteract progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) represent a largely unmet therapeutic need. Even though the pathogenesis of disease evolution is still obscure, accumulating evidence indicates that mitochondrial dysfunction plays a causative role in neurodegeneration and axonopathy in progressive MS patients. Here, we investigated the effects of dexpramipexole, a compound with a good safety profile in humans and able to sustain mitochondria functioning and energy production, in a mouse model of progressive MS. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Female non-obese diabetic mice were immunized with MOG35-55 . Functional, immune and neuropathological parameters were analysed during disease evolution in animals treated or not with dexpramipexole. The compound's effects on bioenergetics and neuroprotection were also evaluated in vitro. KEY RESULTS: We found that oral treatment with dexpramipexole at a dose consistent with that well tolerated in humans delayed disability progression, extended survival, counteracted reduction of spinal cord mitochondrial DNA content and reduced spinal cord axonal loss of mice. Accordingly, the drug sustained in vitro bioenergetics of mouse optic nerve and dorsal root ganglia and counteracted neurodegeneration of organotypic mouse cortical cultures exposed to the adenosine triphosphate-depleting agents oligomycin or veratridine. Dexpramipexole, however, was unable to affect the adaptive and innate immune responses both in vivo and in vitro. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATION: The present findings corroborate the hypothesis that neuroprotective agents may be of relevance to counteract MS progression and disclose the translational potential of dexpramipexole to treatment of progressive MS patients as a stand-alone or adjunctive therapy.

Dexpramipexole blocks Nav1.8 sodium channels and provides analgesia in multiple nociceptive and neuropathic pain models.

Selective targeting of sodium channel subtypes Nav1.7, Nav1.8, and Nav1.9, preferentially expressed by peripheral nociceptors, represents a unique opportunity to develop analgesics devoid of central side effects. Several compounds that target Nav1.7 and Nav1.8 with different degrees of selectivity have been developed and are currently being tested in clinical trials for multiple pain indications. Among these chemicals, benzothiazole-like compounds emerged as potent sodium channel blockers. We evaluated the effects of dexpramipexole, a benzothiazole-bearing drug with pleiotypic neuroactive properties and a good safety profile in humans, on sodium conductances of dorsal root ganglia neurons, as well as in multiple nociceptive and neuropathic pain models. Dexpramipexole blocks TTX-resistant sodium conductances in cultured rat dorsal root ganglion neurons with an IC50 of 294.4 nM, suggesting selectivity towards Nav1.8. In keeping with this, dexpramipexole does not affect sodium currents in dorsal root ganglion neurons from Nav1.8 null mice and acquires binding pose predicted to overlap that of the Nav1.8 channel-selective blocker A-8034637. The drug provides analgesia when parenterally, orally, or topically applied in inflammatory and visceral mouse pain models, as well as in mice affected by neuropathic pain induced by oxaliplatin, nerve constriction, or diabetes. Pain reduction in mice occurs at doses consistent with those adopted in clinical trials. The present findings confirm the relevance of selective targeting of peripheral Nav1.8 channels to pain therapy. In light of the excellent tolerability of dexpramipexole in humans, our results support its translational potential for treatment of pain.

Ultra-rapid brain uptake of subcutaneous sumatriptan in the rat: Implication for cluster headache treatment.

BACKGROUND: In spite of the substantial therapeutic efficacy of triptans, their site of action is still debated. Subcutaneous sumatriptan is the most efficacious symptomatic treatment for cluster headache (CH) patients, showing therapeutic onset within a few minutes after injection even in migraine patients. However, whether subcutaneous sumatriptan is able to reach the CNS within this short time frame is currently unknown. METHODS: Here, by means of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, we investigated peripheral and brain distribution of subcutaneous sumatriptan soon after injection in rats at a dose equivalent to that used in patients. Tissue sumatriptan contents were compared to those of oxazepam, a prototypical lipophilic, neuroactive drug. RESULTS: We report that sumatriptan accumulated within brain regions of relevance to migraine and CH pathogenesis such as the hypothalamus and the brainstem as soon as 1 and 5 minutes after injection. Notably, sumatriptan brain distribution was faster than that of oxazepam, reaching concentrations exceeding its reported binding affinity for 5HT1B/D receptors, and in the range of those able to inhibit neurotransmitter release in vivo. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that sumatriptan distributes within the CNS soon after injection, and are in line with prompt pain relief by parenteral sumatriptan in CH patients.

Dexpramipexole enhances hippocampal synaptic plasticity and memory in the rat.

Even though pharmacological approaches able to counteract age-dependent cognitive impairment have been highly investigated, drugs improving cognition and memory are still an unmet need. It has been hypothesized that sustaining energy dynamics within the aged hippocampus can boost memory storage by sustaining synaptic functioning and long term potentiation (LTP). Dexpramipexole (DEX) is the first-in-class compound able to sustain neuronal bioenergetics by interacting with mitochondrial F1Fo-ATP synthase. In the present study, for the first time we evaluated the effects of DEX on synaptic fatigue, LTP induction, learning and memory retention. We report that DEX improved LTP maintenance in CA1 neurons of acute hippocampal slices from aged but not young rats. However, we found no evidence that DEX counteracted two classic parameters of synaptic fatigue such as fEPSP reduction or the train area during the high frequency stimulation adopted to induce LTP. Interestingly, patch-clamp recordings in rat hippocampal neurons revealed that DEX dose-dependently inhibited (IC50 814 nM) the IA current, a rapidly-inactivating K+ current that negatively regulates neuronal excitability as well as cognition and memory processes. In keeping with this, DEX counteracted both scopolamine-induced spatial memory loss in rats challenged in Morris Water Maze test and memory retention in rats undergoing Novel Object Recognition. Overall, the present study discloses the ability of DEX to boost hippocampal synaptic plasticity, learning and memory. In light of the good safety profile of DEX in humans, our findings may have a realistic translational potential to treatment of cognitive disorders.

Repurposing of dexpramipexole to treatment of neonatal hypoxic/ischemic encephalopathy.

Dexpramipexole (DEX) is a drug with a good safety profile in humans, known for its ability to increase mitochondrial ATP production and prompt neuroprotection in adult rodents subjected to cerebral ischemia. In the present study we evaluated the effect of DEX in rat pups subjected to common carotid artery occlusion plus hypoxia (CCAoH, the classic Rice-Vannucci model). Because of the wide range of infarct size distribution in the CCAoH model, a priori subanalysis based on the effect of DEX on mild/moderate or severe brain injuries was conducted. The subanalysis showed that the drug (3 mg/kg bid i.p, after the hypoxic insult) decreased the infarction size in pups with mild/moderate injuries. Next, we developed a distal middle cerebral artery occlusion plus hypoxia (dMCAoH) model, characterized by an intra-experimental infarct size variability lower than that of the CCAoH model. Post-ischemic treatment with DEX (3 mg/kg bid i.p, after the hypoxic insult) reduced brain infarcts in pups exposed to dMCAoH. For the first time, we show that DEX reduces brain injury in different models of neonatal HIE. In light of the favorable safety profile of DEX in humans, the drug might have a realistic translational potential to treatment of perinatal cerebrovascular disorders.

Trigeminal ganglion transcriptome analysis in 2 rat models of medication-overuse headache reveals coherent and widespread induction of pronociceptive gene expression patterns.

We attempted to gather information on the pathogenesis of medication-overuse headache, as well as on the neurochemical mechanisms through which symptomatic medication overuse concurs to headache chronification. Transcriptional profiles were therefore evaluated as an index of the homeostasis of the trigeminovascular system in the trigeminal ganglion of female rats exposed for 1 month to daily oral doses of eletriptan or indomethacin. We report that both drug treatments change trigeminal ganglion gene expression to a similar extend. Of note, qualitative transcriptomic analysis shows that eletriptan and indomethacin prompt nearly identical, increased expression of genes coding for proteins involved in migraine pathogenesis and central pain sensitization such as neuropeptides, their cognate receptors, prostanoid, and nitric oxide-synthesizing enzymes, as well as TRP channels. These genes, however, were not affected in thoracic dorsal root ganglia. Of note, lowering of orofacial nociceptive thresholds, as well as forepaw hyperalgesia occurred in both indomethacin- and eletriptan-treated rats. Our study reveals that chronic rat exposure to 2 acute headache medications with completely different mechanisms of action prompts pain sensitization with highly similar induction of pronociceptive genes selectively within the trigeminal ganglion. Data further our understanding of medication-overuse headache pathogenesis and provide hints for specific mechanism-based treatment options.

Effects of Class II-Selective Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor on Neuromuscular Function and Disease Progression in SOD1-ALS Mice.

Emerging evidence indicates that transcriptome alterations due to epigenetic deregulation concur to ALS pathogenesis. Accordingly, pan-histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors delay ALS development in mice, but these compounds failed when tested in ALS patients. Possibly, lack of selectivity toward specific classes of HDACs weakens the therapeutic effects of pan-HDAC inhibitors. Here, we tested the effects of the HDAC Class II selective inhibitor MC1568 on disease evolution, motor neuron survival as well as skeletal muscle function in SOD1G93A mice. We report that HDACs did not undergo expression changes during disease evolution in isolated motor neurons of adult mice. Conversely, increase in specific Class II HDACs (-4, -5 and -6) occurs in skeletal muscle of mice with severe neuromuscular impairment. Importantly, treatment with MC1568 causes early improvement of motor performances that vanishes at later stages of disease. Notably, motor improvement is not paralleled by reduced motor neuron degeneration but by increased skeletal muscle electrical potentials, reduced activation of mir206/FGFBP1-dependent muscle reinnervation signaling, and increased muscle expression of myogenic genes.

Identification of the Nicotinamide Salvage Pathway as a New Toxification Route for Antimetabolites.

Interest in the modulation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) metabolome is gaining great momentum because of its therapeutic potential in different human disorders. Suppression of nicotinamide salvage by nicotinamide phosphoribosyl transferase (NAMPT) inhibitors, however, gave inconclusive results in neoplastic patients because several metabolic routes circumvent the enzymatic block converging directly on nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyl transferases (NMNATs) for NAD synthesis. Unfortunately, NMNAT inhibitors have not been identified. Here, we report the identification of Vacor as a substrate metabolized by the consecutive action of NAMPT and NMNAT2 into the NAD analog Vacor adenine dinucleotide (VAD). This leads to inhibition of both enzymes, as well as NAD-dependent dehydrogenases, thereby causing unprecedented rapid NAD depletion, glycolytic block, energy failure, and necrotic death of NMNAT2-proficient cancer cells. Conversely, lack of NMNAT2 expression confers complete resistance to Vacor. Remarkably, Vacor prompts VAD formation and growth suppression in NMNAT2-positive neuroblastoma and melanoma xenografts. Our data show the first evidence of harnessing the entire nicotinamide salvage pathway for antimetabolic strategies.

Dexpramipexole improves bioenergetics and outcome in experimental stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Dexpramipexole, a drug recently tested in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS,) is able to bind F1Fo ATP synthase and increase mitochondrial ATP production. Here, we have investigated its effects on experimental ischaemic brain injury. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The effects of dexpramipexole on bioenergetics, Ca2+ fluxes, electrophysiological functions and death were evaluated in primary neural cultures and hippocampal slices exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). Effects on infarct volumes and neurological functions were also evaluated in mice following proximal or distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo). Distribution of dexpramipexole within the ischaemic brain was evaluated by means of mass spectrometry imaging. KEY RESULTS: Dexpramipexole increased mitochondrial ATP production in cultured neurons or glia and reduces energy failure, prevents intracellular Ca2+ overload and affords cytoprotection when cultures are exposed to OGD. This compound also counteracted ATP depletion, mitochondrial swelling, anoxic depolarization, loss of synaptic activity and neuronal death in hippocampal slices subjected to OGD. Post-ischaemic treatment with dexpramipexole, at doses consistent with those already used in ALS patients, reduced brain infarct size and ameliorated neuroscore in mice subjected to transient or permanent MCAo. Notably, the concentrations of dexpramipexole reached within the ischaemic penumbra equalled those found neuroprotective in vitro. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Dexpramipexole, a compound able to increase mitochondrial F1Fo ATP-synthase activity reduced ischaemic brain injury. These findings, together with the excellent brain penetration and favourable safety profile in humans, make dexpramipexole a drug with realistic translational potential for the treatment of stroke. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed section on Inventing New Therapies Without Reinventing the Wheel: The Power of Drug Repurposing. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v175.2/issuetoc.

Post onset, oral rapamycin treatment delays development of mitochondrial encephalopathy only at supramaximal doses.

Mitochondrial encephalopathies are fatal, infantile neurodegenerative disorders caused by a deficit of mitochondrial functioning, for which there is urgent need to identify efficacious pharmacological treatments. Recent evidence shows that rapamycin administered both intraperitoneally or in the diet delays disease onset and enhances survival in the Ndufs4 null mouse model of mitochondrial encephalopathy. To delineate the clinical translatability of rapamycin in treatment of mitochondrial encephalopathy, we evaluated the drug's effects on disease evolution and mitochondrial parameters adopting treatment paradigms with fixed daily, oral doses starting at symptom onset in Ndufs4 knockout mice. Molecular mechanisms responsible for the pharmacodynamic effects of rapamycin were also evaluated. We found that rapamycin did not affect disease development at clinically-relevant doses (0.5 mg kg-1). Conversely, an oral dose previously adopted for intraperitoneal administration (8 mg kg-1) delayed development of neurological symptoms and increased median survival by 25%. Neurological improvement and lifespan were not further increased when the dose raised to 20 mg kg-1. Notably, rapamycin at 8 mg kg-1 did not affect the reduced expression of respiratory complex subunits, as well as mitochondrial number and mtDNA content. This treatment regimen however significantly ameliorated architecture of mitochondria cristae in motor cortex and cerebellum. However, reduction of mTOR activity by rapamycin was not consistently found within the brain of knockout mice. Overall, data show the ability of rapamycin to improve ultrastructure of dysfunctional mitochondria and corroborate its therapeutic potential in mitochondrial disorders. The non-clinical standard doses required, however, raise concerns about its rapid and safe clinical transferability.

Acute and chronic triptan exposure neither alters rodent cerebral blood flow nor worsens ischemic brain injury.

Although it is still debated whether vasoconstriction underlies migraine resolution by triptans, they are not recommended in patients at cardiovascular risk. However, relationship between stroke incidence and triptan use is unclear, and it is unknown whether acute or chronic use of these drugs worsens ischemic brain injury. To address this issue, we investigated the effect of clinically-relevant doses of the potent cerebral artery vasoconstrictor eletriptan on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and brain infarct volumes, as well as on expression of genes involved in cerebrovascular regulation. We report that acute treatment of rats or mice with eletriptan did not reduce basal CBF, which promptly dropped upon treatment with prazosin or dihydroergotamine. Acute of chronic (1month) eletriptan also did not affect CBF changes and infarct volumes in mice undergoing brain ischemia/reperfusion. Finally, chronic eletriptan reduced brain mRNAs for PACAP and VIP, leaving unaffected those for 5HT1B/DR and CGRP. No significant transcript changes were found in dura mater. Data suggest that the impact of triptans on cerebral hemodynamic should be re-evaluated, as well as their propensity to increase stroke risk in migraineurs.

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase is not involved in the neuroprotection exerted by azithromycin against ischemic stroke in mice.

Repurposing azithromycin has recently emerged as a promising strategy for the acute treatment of ischemic stroke. The mechanism of neuroprotection depends on the ability of this macrolide to promote polarization of microglia/macrophages towards beneficial M2 phenotypes. The immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects of azithromycin, well documented in chronic inflammatory airway diseases, have been ascribed to the inhibition of the transcription factors nuclear factor (NF)-κB and activator protein (AP)-1. Since these inflammatory transcription factors are positively regulated by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1, an enzyme actively involved in ischemic brain injury, we have investigated whether the neuroprotective properties of azithromycin in ischemic stroke involve upstream modulation of PARP-1. Administration of a single dose of this macrolide antibiotic upon reperfusion reduced, to a similar extent in wild type and PARP-1 knockout mice, infarct brain damage produced by transient occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. Moreover, we demonstrated the lack of effects of azithromycin on PARP-dependent death of HeLa cells, as well as on activity of purified PARP-1 and PARP-2. Thus, azithromycin protects mice against ischemic stroke injury through a mechanism independent of PARP activation.

Dysregulation of sphingosine 1 phosphate receptor-1 (S1P1) signaling and regulatory lymphocyte-dependent immunosuppression in a model of post-fingolimod MS rebound.

Fingolimod affords protection from MS by sequestering lymphocytes in secondary lymphoid organs via down regulation of their sphingosine 1 phosphate receptor (S1P1). Unexpectedly, accumulating evidence indicates that patients who discontinue fingolimod treatment may be at risk of rehearsal of magnetic resonance (MR) and clinical disease activity, sometimes featuring dramatic rebound. We therefore developed in vivo and in vitro models of post-fingolimod MS rebound to unravel its cellular and molecular mechanisms. The impact of fingolimod withdrawal on T regulatory lymphocytes was also investigated by means of cytofluorimetric analysis and antigen-specific lymphocyte proliferation assays. We show that mice with relapsing-remitting experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) undergo extremely severe, chronic disease rebound upon discontinuation of fingolimod. Remarkably, rebound is preceded by a burst of S1P1 overexpression in lymph node-entrapped lymphocytes that correlates with subsequent massive lymphocyte egress and widespread CNS immune infiltration. Also, consistent with the ability of S1P1 to counteract polarization and function of T regulatory lymphocytes their number and suppression of effector T cells is reduced by fingolimod suspension. Data disclose the first pathogenic mechanisms of post-fingolimod rebound that may be targeted for therapeutic intervention.

Anticonvulsant effect of AMP by direct activation of adenosine A1 receptor.

Purinergic neurotransmission mediated by adenosine (Ado) type 1 receptors (A1Rs) plays pivotal roles in negative modulation of epileptic seizures, and Ado is thought to be a key endogenous anticonvulsant. Recent evidence, however, indicates that AMP, the metabolic precursor of Ado, also activate A1Rs. Here, we evaluated the antiepileptic effects of AMP adopting in vitro and in vivo models of epilepsy. We report that AMP reversed the increase in population spike (PS) amplitude and the decrease in PS latency induced by a Mg(2+)-free extracellular solution in CA1 neurons of mouse hippocampal slices. The AMP effects were inhibited by the A1R antagonist DPCPX, but not prevented by inhibiting conversion of AMP into Ado, indicating that AMP inhibited per se sustained hippocampal excitatory neurotransmission by directly activating A1Rs. AMP also reduced seizure severity and mortality in a model of audiogenic convulsion. Of note, the anticonvulsant effects of AMP were potentiated by preventing its conversion into Ado and inhibited by DPCPX. When tested in a model of kainate-induced seizure, AMP prolonged latency of convulsions but had no effects on seizure severity and mortality. Data provide the first evidence that AMP is an endogenous anticonvulsant acting at A1Rs.

Neurological basis of AMP-dependent thermoregulation and its relevance to central and peripheral hyperthermia.

Therapeutic hypothermia is of relevance to treatment of increased body temperature and brain injury, but drugs inducing selective, rapid, and safe cooling in humans are not available. Here, we show that injections of adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP), an endogenous nucleotide, promptly triggers hypothermia in mice by directly activating adenosine A1 receptors (A1R) within the preoptic area (POA) of the hypothalamus. Inhibition of constitutive degradation of brain extracellular AMP by targeting ecto 5'-nucleotidase, also suffices to prompt hypothermia in rodents. Accordingly, sensitivity of mice and rats to the hypothermic effect of AMP is inversely related to their hypothalamic 5'-nucleotidase activity. Single-cell electrophysiological recording indicates that AMP reduces spontaneous firing activity of temperature-insensitive neurons of the mouse POA, thereby retuning the hypothalamic thermoregulatory set point towards lower temperatures. Adenosine 5'-monophosphate also suppresses prostaglandin E2-induced fever in mice, having no effects on peripheral hyperthermia triggered by dioxymetamphetamine (ecstasy) overdose. Together, data disclose the role of AMP, 5'-nucleotidase, and A1R in hypothalamic thermoregulation, as well and their therapeutic relevance to treatment of febrile illness.

AMP-dependent hypothermia affords protection from ischemic brain injury.

In light of the relevance of therapeutic hypothermia to stroke treatment, we investigated whether 5'-adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-dependent cooling affords protection from ischemic brain injury. We show that hypothermia by AMP is because of adenosine A1 receptor (A1R) activation and is not invariantly associated with hypotension. Inhibition of ecto-5'-nucleotidase-dependent constitutive degradation of brain extracellular AMP by methylene-ADP (AMPCP) also suffices to prompt A1R-dependent hypothermia without hypotension. Both intraischemic and postischemic hypothermia by AMP or AMPCP reduce infarct volumes and mortality of mice subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. Data disclose that AMP-dependent hypothermia is of therapeutic relevance to treatment of brain ischemia.