[CITATION][C] Adenosine–a cardioprotective and therapeutic agent

RM BERNE - Cardiovascular Research, 1993 - academic.oup.com
RM BERNE
Cardiovascular Research, 1993academic.oup.com
Adenosine-a cardioprotective and therapeutic agent n the past few years, the nucleoside
adenosine has received considerable attention as its multiple effects are I recognised, its
receptors cloned, and its metabolism and mechanisms of action revealed. Two of the basic
effects of adenosine (relaxation of coronary vascular smooth muscle and impairment of
atrioventricular conduction) have been known for over 60 years but it is only within the past
30 years that interest in adenosine research has been rekindled and recently this interest …
Adenosine-a cardioprotective and therapeutic agent n the past few years, the nucleoside adenosine has received considerable attention as its multiple effects are I recognised, its receptors cloned, and its metabolism and mechanisms of action revealed. Two of the basic effects of adenosine (relaxation of coronary vascular smooth muscle and impairment of atrioventricular conduction) have been known for over 60 years but it is only within the past 30 years that interest in adenosine research has been rekindled and recently this interest has expanded exponentially. The widespread actions of adenosine include effects on the cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory, gastrointestinal, renal, and reproductive systems as well as on blood cells and adipocytes.
Of'the adenosine receptor mediated cardiovascular effects, several mechanisms participate in cardioprotection, which is the central theme in this issue of Cardiovascular Research. The cardioprotection takes several forms:(1) Coronary vasodilatution-When the oxygen supply becomes inadequate for myocardial needs (decreased supply caused by hypoxia or ischaemia or increased need caused by augmented cardiac WorWmetabolism), adenosine is released and dilates cardiac resistance vessels.(2) Antiadrenergic effect of adenosine-When the ventricles are stimulated by release of endogenous catecholamines which elicit positive dromotropic, chronotropic, and inotropic effects, the myocardial oxygen requirement is increased and the resulting release of adenosine from myocytes opposes the catecholamine effects via AI receptor stimulation and inhibits noradrenaline release from sympathetic nerves.
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