Tissue content of adenosine, inosine and hypoxanthine in the rat kidney after ischemia and postischemic recirculation

Chronic caffeine administration exacerbates renovascular, but not genetic, hypertension in rats

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not caffeine would exacerbate renovascular hypertension. Therefore, we examined the effects of chronic caffeine administration on arterial blood pressure in rats subjected to either unilateral renal artery clipping (2K-1C rats) or sham-operation. Animals in each group were randomly assigned to receive either 0.1% caffeine in their drinking water or normal drinking water, and systolic blood pressure was monitored for 6 wk. Caffeine markedly exacerbated the severity of hypertension in 2K-1C rats and caused histological changes consistent with malignant hypertension. 6 wk after surgery, systolic blood pressure, plasma renin activity, and creatinine clearance in control 2K-1C rats were 169 +/- 5 mmHg (mean +/- SEM), 4.4 +/- 0.5 ng AI X ml-1 X h-1, and 2.9 +/- 0.2 ml/min, respectively; as compared with 219 +/- 4 mmHg, 31.8 +/- 7.8 ng AI X ml-1 X h-1, and 1.4 +/- 0.3 ml/min, respectively, in 2K-1C rats receiving caffeine (all values were significantly different compared with control 2K-1C). Chronic caffeine administration did not alter systolic blood pressure, plasma renin activity, or creatinine clearance in sham-operated rats or spontaneously hypertensive rats. Chronic treatment with enalapril (a converting enzyme inhibitor) prevented the development of hypertension in control 2K-1C rats and caffeine-treated 2K-1C rats; however, withdrawal of enalapril precipitated a rapid rise in systolic blood pressure in caffeine-treated 2K-1C rats, but not in control 2K-1C rats. These experiments indicate that caffeine specifically exacerbates experimental renovascular hypertension and might worsen the hypertensive process in patients with renovascular hypertension.

Chemical and functional correlates of postischemic renal ATP levels

Renal energy metabolism was investigated before, during, and after ischemic insults of varying durations with in vivo 31P NMR spectroscopy. The postischemic recovery of renal ATP was found to be a biphasic process regardless of the length of the ischemia. This two-stage recovery consisted of a quick initial component immediately upon reflow followed by a slower, more gradual return toward preischemic levels. To characterize the source of each phase of the recovery, kidneys were extracted with perchloric acid at the end of the different periods of ischemia (before reflow). Concentrations of adenine nucleotides and breakdown products adenosine, inosine, and hypoxanthine were determined by 1H NMR spectroscopy. Excellent correlation was found between the residual nucleotide pool and the magnitude of the initial phase of ATP recovery. Additionally, the renal ATP content after 120 min of reflow was shown to have a strong correlation with subsequent functional recovery. These experiments show that in vivo 31P NMR can provide new and dynamic information concerning the biochemical recovery from ischemia. Furthermore, this data has the potential to predict the eventual functional recovery of the organ.

Hypothyroidism protects against free radical damage in ischemic acute renal failure

The effect of hypothyroidism on ischemic acute renal failure was studied in rats. Ten days after thyroidectomy with parathyroid reimplantation, rats underwent right uninephrectomy followed by occlusion of the left renal artery for 60 min. Plasma creatinine was lower in thyroidectomized than control rats 24 hr after ischemia; 1.3 +/- 0.5 vs. 3.2 +/- 0.6 mg%; P less than 0.05. Twenty-four hours after ischemia, inulin clearance was higher in thyroidectomized than control animals (0.40 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.17 +/- 0.03 mliter/min; P less than 0.01), despite an initially lower inulin clearance in thyroidectomized animals (0.81 vs. 1.1 +/- 0.07 mliter/min; P less than 0.05). Administration of the antithyroid drug prophylthiouracil for 14 days also resulted in lower plasma creatinine after ischemia. Kidneys from thyroidectomized animals showed less histologic damage 24 hr after ischemia. Renal cortical content of the lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde was increased less in thyroidectomy than control kidneys after 60 min ischemia plus 15 min reflow (0.08 +/- 0.02 vs. 0.42 +/- 0.1 nmole/mg protein; P less than 0.005). Renal cortical glutathione content was higher in thyroidectomized animals by approximately 36%, 650 +/- 46 vs. 479 +/- 32 nmole/mg protein (P less than 0.02). In normal rats, glutathione infusion also increased renal cortical glutathione content and resulted in lower plasma creatinine 24 hr after renal artery ischemia. Therefore, hypothyroidism resulted in functional and histologic protection against injury after ischemia. Post-ischemic renal lipid peroxidation was reduced in thyroidectomized animals, perhaps the result of increased scavenging of reactive oxygen species (oxygen free radicals and H2O2) by glutathione.

Free-radical-mediated postischemic reperfusion injury in the kidney

Acute tubular necrosis is a frequent occurrence following hypovolemic shock and human renal transplantation. Although this postischemic injury was originally thought to result from ischemia alone, it has recently been recognized that significant tissue injury can occur during the period of reperfusion. The demonstration of the oxygen free-radical-mediated postischemic reperfusion injury by Granger, Rutili, and McCord in ischemic cat intestine suggested that this mechanism might also be operative following renal ischemia. In the kidney, postischemic injury results in necrosis of the proximal renal tubule and accumulation of erythrocytes in the outer renal medulla. It has been proposed that the primary event leading to these pathologic changes is a free-radical-mediated injury to the endothelial cells in the inner stripe of the outer medulla. Experimental evidence in animals subjected to warm and cold ischemia supports a free-radical-mediated mechanism. The clinical significance of these findings is demonstrated in preclinical animal studies of renal transplantation in which approximately two-thirds of the injury following cold ischemia could be ablated by superoxide dismutase administered just prior to reperfusion or by allopurinol when administered both at the time of preservation and reperfusion or at the time of preservation alone.

Oxygen free radical induced damage in kidneys subjected to warm ischemia and reperfusion. Protective effect of superoxide dismutase

Superoxide anion free radical (O2-.) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of tissue injury consequent to ischemia/reperfusion in several different organs, including heart and bowel. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), an enzyme free radical scavenger specific for O2-., has been used successfully to protect these organs from structural damage during reoxygenation of ischemic tissue. It has been suggested that the catalytic action of xanthine oxidase in injured tissue is an important source of O2-. during reoxygenation. In order to evaluate the potential of SOD to protect against kidney damage resulting from transient ischemia followed by reperfusion with oxygenated blood, a model of warm renal ischemia was studied. LBNF1 rats underwent right nephrectomy and occlusion of the left renal artery for 45 minutes. Survival in the group of ischemic untreated rats (N = 30) was 56% at 7 days and serum creatinine was greatly elevated (p less than 0.01) in rats remaining alive over the full 7-day period. In strong contrast to these results, all of the animals treated with SOD before reperfusion (N = 18) were alive after 7 days similar to sham operated control rats (N = 8). Serum creatinine in the SOD treated rats was significantly elevated only to postoperative day 3 and thereafter returned to normal. Rats treated with inactive SOD (N = 4) or SOD before ischemia (N = 4) had decreased survival rates compared to ischemic untreated animals and prolonged elevation of serum creatinine. When the ischemia time was extended to 60 minutes, only 19% of the untreated animals (N = 16) survived at 7 days whereas nearly 60% of the SOD-treated animals survived (N = 19). Serum creatinine was greatly elevated during the full 7-day observation period in all surviving rats in the untreated ischemic group, whereas serum creatinine returned to normal (p less than 0.05) after 4 days in the surviving rats treated with SOD. To test whether the action of xanthine oxidase contributed to the kidney damage after reoxygenation, 45 min. ischemic rat kidneys were treated with allopurinol. All of the animals treated with allopurinol (N = 12) were alive at 7 days. Serum creatinine values returned to normal after the episode of ischemia and reperfusion but more slowly than after SOD treatment. Histologic evaluation of kidney tissue taken from animals after ischemia alone showed extensive renal tubular damage, which was essentially absent in kidneys from SOD-treated animals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adenosine stimulates sodium transport in kidney A6 epithelia in culture

The effects of adenosine receptor agonists and antagonists were examined in epithelia formed in culture by A6 cells, a continuous cell line derived from Xenopus laevis kidney. A6 epithelia have a high electrical resistance and a short-circuit current that is equal to net sodium flux from mucosal to serosal surface. Adenosine, 2-chloroadenosine, 5'-(N-ethyl)carboxamidoadenosine, and N6-(L-2-phenylisopropyl) adenosine produced concentration-dependent increases in short-circuit current. Stimulation of short-circuit current by 2-chloroadenosine occurred at concentrations of 0.05 microM and above, with half-maximal stimulation occurring at 0.3 microM. 5'-(N-ethyl)carboxamidoadenosine was more potent than N6-(L-2-phenylisopropyl)adenosine, the usual order of potency for activation of stimulatory adenosine receptors. Theophylline (100 microM), an adenosine receptor antagonist, reduced the short-circuit current response to adenosine and 2-chloroadenosine by 85-90%. Amiloride, an agent that inhibits both basal and adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-stimulated short-circuit current in A6 epithelia, completely and reversibly inhibited short-circuit current stimulated by 2-chloroadenosine. Adenosine and 2-chloroadenosine stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in a crude membrane preparation from A6 cells. Stimulation by adenosine was blocked by adenosine deaminase. 2-Chloroadenosine increased cell cAMP accumulation in intact epithelia. The results provide evidence that adenosine and adenosine receptor agonists stimulate adenylate cyclase and active sodium transport in an epithelial cell line of renal origin.

Oxygen free radicals in ischemic acute renal failure in the rat

During renal ischemia, ATP is degraded to hypoxanthine. When xanthine oxidase converts hypoxanthine to xanthine in the presence of molecular oxygen, superoxide radical (O-2) is generated. We studied the role of O-2 and its reduction product OH X in mediating renal injury after ischemia. Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent right nephrectomy followed by 60 min of occlusion of the left renal artery. The O-2 scavenger superoxide dismutase (SOD) was given 8 min before clamping and before release of the renal artery clamp. Control rats received 5% dextrose instead. Plasma creatinine was lower in SOD treated rats: 1.5, 1.0, and 0.8 mg/dl vs. 2.5, 2.5, and 2.1 mg/dl at 24, 48, and 72 h postischemia. 24 h after ischemia inulin clearance was higher in SOD treated rats than in controls (399 vs. 185 microliter/min). Renal blood flow, measured after ischemia plus 15 min of reflow, was also greater in SOD treated than in control rats. Furthermore, tubular injury, judged histologically in perfusion fixed specimens, was less in SOD treated rats. Rats given SOD inactivated by prior incubation with diethyldithiocarbamate had plasma creatinine values no different from those of control rats. The OH X scavenger dimethylthiourea (DMTU) was given before renal artery occlusion. DMTU treated rats had lower plasma creatinine than did controls: 1.7, 1.7, and 1.3 mg/dl vs. 3.2, 2.2, and 2.4 mg/dl at 24, 48, and 72 h postischemia. Neither SOD nor DMTU caused an increase in renal blood flow, urine flow rate, or solute excretion in normal rats. The xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol was given before ischemia to prevent the generation of oxygen free radicals. Plasma creatinine was lower in allopurinol treated rats: 2.7, 2.2, and 1.4 mg/dl vs. 3.6, 3.5, and 2.3 mg/dl at 24, 48, and 72 h postischemia. Catalase treatment did not protect against renal ischemia, perhaps because its large size limits glomerular filtration and access to the tubular lumen. Superoxide-mediated lipid peroxidation was studied after renal ischemia. 60 min of ischemia did not increase the renal content of the lipid peroxide malondialdehyde, whereas ischemia plus 15 min reflow resulted in a large increase in kidney lipid peroxides. Treatment with SOD before renal ischemia prevented the reflow-induced increase in lipid peroxidation in renal cortical mitochondria but not in crude cortical homogenates. In summary, the oxygen free radical scavengers SOD and DMTU, and allopurinol, which inhibits free radical generation, protected renal function after ischemia. Reperfusion after ischemia resulted in lipid peroxidation; SOD decreased lipid peroxidation in cortical mitochondria after renal ischemia and reflow. We concluded that restoration of oxygen supply to ischemic kidney results in the production of oxygen free radicals, which causes renal injury by lipid peroxidation.

Tracheal relaxant and cardiostimulant actions of xanthines can be differentiated from diuretic and CNS-stimulant effects. Role of adenosine antagonism?

Theophylline (1, 3-dimethylxanthine) and enprofylline (3-propylxanthine) have been examined for effects in the rat. Enprofylline was 3.8 times as potent as theophylline as a tracheal relaxant in vitro, and 1.3 times as potent as theophylline to increase the rate of isolated perfused hearts. An oral dose (5 mg/kg) of enprofylline to rats was almost completely recovered in the urine as unchanged drug, showing that this xanthine is well absorbed and negligibly metabolised. Theophylline (10 and 30 mg/kg p.o.) significantly and dose-dependently increased locomotor activity in rats whereas the same doses of enprofylline were without effect on behaviour. Theophylline ( 5-20 mg/kg p.o.) produced significant and dose-dependent natriuretic and volume diuretic effect with little augmentation of potassium excretion. Enprofylline up to 10 mg/kg was without diuretic effects. At the large dose of 20 mg/kg enprofylline decreased sodium excretion and produced some volume diuresis. It is suggested that lack of diuretic and CNS-stimulant behavioural effects by enprofylline is due to its low ability to antagonise adenosine receptor stimulation. Pharmacodynamic differences between enprofylline and the potent adenosine antagonist theophylline may indicate a functional importance of endogenous adenosine.

Nucleotide, nucleoside and purine base concentrations in human placentae

Nucleotides, nucleosides and purine bases in trichloroacetic acid extracts of freeze clamped samples of human placenta have been measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The concentrations of the nucleotides concerned with energy transduction, ATP, ADP and AMP, and especially the energy charge, are stable over periods of ischaemia of 30 min. Concentrations of 14 nucleotides, including UDPAG, GDP Man, UDP and CTP, have now been defined. In addition, the concentrations of hypoxanthine, xanthine, uridine, adenine and inosine are indicated. Concentrations of the vasodilator adenosine are similar to the apparent Michaelis constants of its main metabolizing enzymes adenosine kinase and adenosine deaminase. The availability of 'normal' values of adenine nucleotide concentrations in human placenta should permit the detection of 'placental insufficiency' of energy supply, if this condition exists.

Adenosine induced fall in glomerular capillary pressure. Effect of ureteral obstruction and aortic constriction in the Munich-Wistar rat kidney

The effect of acute ureteral obstruction (UO) and reduction of renal artery pressure (AC) on the adenosine-induced renal vasoconstriction was studied in the Munich-Wistar rat. Infusion of adenosine, 0.05 mumol/min . kg body weight, into the thoracic aorta, was associated with a fall of directly measured glomerular capillary pressure (Pgc) from 45.2 + 1.8 to 32.5 + 1.7 mm Hg, P less than 0.001. Elevation of ureter pressure to 39 + 2 mm Hg abolished the fall of Pgc following adenosine infusion, 51.3 + 1.7 vs. 50.0 + 1.3 mm Hg, NS. Reduction of renal artery pressure to 70 mm Hg by an aortic clamp above the renal arteries also prevented the fall of Pgc due to adenosine, 36.8 + 0.9 vs. 36.4 + 1.8 mm Hg, NS. Administration of indometacin (10 mg/kg i.v.) restored the ability of adenosine to reduce Pgc in UO from 41.5 + 1.1 to 25.9 + 2.6 mm Hg (P less than 0.001) and in AC from 34.0 + 3.4 to 28.2 + 75.7 mm Hg (P less than 0.02). Since previous studied have demonstrated that in UO and AC renal prostaglandin synthesis is enhanced the effects of indometacin suggest that prostaglandins could be antagonistic to the action of adenosine on the kidney. The data show that the renal vasculature becomes insensitive to the vasoconstrictive action of adenosine during elevated ureter pressure and reduced renal artery pressure.

Theophylline inhibition of renal and cerebral nucleoside formation

1 Theophylline inhibits the enzymatic formation of purine nucleosides, among these adenosine (dephosphorylated adenosine 5'-monophosphate), in kidney and brain of the rat. 2 Some pharmacological effects of theophylline on regional blood flow and electrophysiological activity of the nervous system may be caused by inhibition of the endogenous formation of adenosine.

Metabolic basis for disorders of purine nucleotide degradation

Purine nucleotide degradation refers to a regulated series of reactions by which human purine ribonucleotides and deoxyribonucleotides are degraded to uric acid in humans. Two major types of disorders occur in this pathway. A block of degradation occurs with syndromes involving immune deficiency, myopathy or renal calculi. Increased degradation of nucleotides occurs with syndromes characterized by hyperuricemia and gout, renal calculi, anemia or acute hypoxia. Management of disorders of purine nucleotide degradation is dependent upon modifying the specific molecular pathology underlying each disease state.

Raised hypoxanthine, xanthine and uridine concentrations in meconium stained amniotic fluid and during labour

Amniotic fluid samples were obtained at induction of labour in 64 women; in 15 of these there was meconium staining of the amniotic fluid; the remainder showed no signs of fetal distress. Using high pressure liquid chromatography, compared to the samples from normal patients there were highly significantly raised levels of hypoxanthine, xanthine and uridine in the meconium stained samples; oxypurines in the meconium itself could not explain the difference. Where serial samples were obtained during labour by intrauterine catheter, a terminal rise in oxypurine levels was apparent. Where the proportion of oxypurine present as hypoxanthine exceeded one per cent in amniotic fluid at the time of induction, there was a significantly greater occurrence of late fetal heart rate decelerations in the ensuing labour. These findings are consistent with other evidence that when tissues become hypoxic the metabolic products of nucleotide breakdown escape from the cells and appear in extracellular fluid. Oxygen lack in the fetus probably causes loss of these compounds from the hypoxic kidneys to the urine so that they appear in amniotic fluid.

Enhanced recovery from acute renal failure by the postischemic infusin of adenine nucleotides and magnesium chloride in rats

Although a number of manipulations prior to or during the initiation phase of an acute renal injury will modify the degree of functional impairment, agents administered after the acute insult usually have been ineffective. In the present study, adenine nucleotides (AMP, ADP, or ATP) combined with magnesium chloride were infused after an ischemic renal injury. Twenty-four hours later: (1) rats that received no infusion or one of the components of the mixture alone had reduced CIn (355 +/- 40 microliter/min/100 g of body wt vs. 977 +/- 40 control value), decreased RBF (3550 +/- 205 microliter/min/100 g of body wt vs. 5095 +/- 171 control value), elevated FENa (0.65 +/- 0.10% vs. 0.17 +/- 0.04 control value), and diminished UOsm (862 +/- 110 mOsm/kg vs. 1425 +/- 132 control value); (2) rats given dopamine or phenoxybenzamine maintained low CIn (365 +/- 50) despite improved RBF (4678 +/- 222); (3) rats infused with either AMP, ADP, or ATP combined with magnesium chloride had markedly improved CIn (594 +/- 44, P < 0.01), increased RBF (4269 +/- 223, P < 0.01); normalized FENa (0.18 +/- 0.07%, P < 0.01), and improved UOsm (1201 +/- 106 mOsm/kg, P < 0.05). In animals given no infusion or only magnesium chloride, ultrastructural studies demonstrated focal cellular necrosis and marked generalized tubular cell and mitochondrial swelling, whereas rats infused with ATP and magnesium chloride had fewer ultrastructural changes with better preservation of cellular morphology. Rats treated with ATP and magnesium chloride had improved CIn despite ischemic periods of 30, 45, and 60- min; and the degree of improvement was directly related to the quantity of ATP and magnesium chloride administered. The cellular content of exogenously administered ATP was 2.5 times greater in previously ischemic kidneys than in nonischemic kidneys. The data indicate that adenine nucleotides combined with magnesium chloride when infused after the initiation of acute renal failure significantly improve both CIn and tubular function and suggest that these agents effectively enhance recovery following an ischemc renal insult.

Isolation and identification of a small molecular weight inhibitor of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase from bovine brain

In a search for endogenous regulators for cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (3':5'-cyclic-AMP 5'-nucleotidohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.17), we found that the ultrafiltrate of bovine brain homogenate contained a cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase inhibitor. The inhibitor-containing fraction was further purified by ion-exchange column chromatography and gel filtration chromatography. The purified inhibitor was found to be a small molecular weight compound which had a maximum absorption at 248 nm. This compound was identified by thin-layer chromatography and high-pressure liquid chromatography as hypoxanthine. We suggest that hypoxanthine may serve as an endogenous regulator for the hydrolysis of cyclic nucleotide by cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase.

Dephosphorylation of purine mononucleotides by alkaline phosphatases. Substrate specificity and inhibition patterns

Three purine mononucleotides, adenosine-, inosine- and guanosine monophosphate, were used as substrates at pH 7.4 and at 10.4 for three alkaline phosphatases (orthophosphoric-monoester phosphohydrolase (acid optimum), EC 3.1.3.1) containing similar phosphate-binding serine groups at their esteratic sites. Substrate specificity was found for the enzymes from calf intestine and bovine liver. Alkaline phosphatase from Escherichia coli was nonspecific. A substrate-dependent and pronounced inhibition with the purine analogue 1,3-dimethyl xanthine was found for the enzymes from intestine and liver, but not for alkaline phosphatase from E. coli. A substrate-independent and pronounced inhibition was found for all three enzymes with the phosphomonoester p-nitrophenol phosphate as the inhibitor. Alkaline phosphatases may play an important role in the regulation of the intracellular content of purine mononucleotides.

A possible purinergic mechanism for reactive ischemia in isolated, cross-circulated rat kidney

The isolated kidney of the recipient rat was perfused at a fixed flow rate with blood from a donor by a cross-circulation technique. The renal vasculature responded to the release of arterial occlusion with vasoconstriction, the magnitude of which was increased with increase in the duration of occlusion. ATP, ADP, AMP, adenosine, noradrenaline and 5-HT injected into the renal artery induced a prominent vasoconstriction; IMP and inosine had only a weak vasoconstrictor effect even in large doses. Theophylline reduced the vasoconstriction in response to arterial occlusion and to ATP and adenosine but did not affect that produced by noradrenaline or 5-HT. This suggests that adenine compounds, particularly adenosine, may play a role in the genesis of reactive vasoconstriction after arterial occlusion in the isolated rat kidney.

Radioimmunoassay for adenosine in biological samples

A sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay for adenosine has been developed. Antibodies directed against adenosine (titer 1:400--1:700) were obtained by immunizing rabbits with adenosine, conjugated via its vicinal hydroxyl groups to bovine serum albumin (periodate oxidation). Interfering adenosine deaminase activity was removed from the antisera by treatment with DEAE-cellulose. Free and antibody bound 3H-adenosine was separated by either the "second antibody" precipitation method or by a simple filtration step. The sensitivity and assay range for adenosine was 1--100 pmoles per assay tube. Structurally related purine compounds (adenine nucleotides, adenine) crossreacted with adenosine binding and were removed by a single chromatographic step. Analysis of the adenosine content in normoxic guinea pig hearts yielded 2.53 nmoles/g, a value which was confirmed by spectrophotometric analysis.

Release of 3H-purines from [3H]-adenine labelled rabbit kidney following sympathetic nerve stimulation, and its inhibition by alpha-adrenoceptor blockage

1 Rabbit kidneys were isolated and perfused with Tyrode solution. Release of 3H-purines was studied after labeling of the adenine-nucleotide stores with [3H]adenine (more than 60% uptake during a single passage). 2 One hour after labelling the spontaneous 3H-outflow amounted to 0.1 to 0.2% of the total tissue content per minute. The release rate was enhanced following nerve stimulation (3 to 10 Hz), or brief infusion of noradrenaline (0.1 to 2.4 microgram i.a.). Release of radioactivity was also enhanced by angiotensin II, by interruption of perfusion flow for 0.5 to 2 min and by hypoxia (5 to 25% O2). 3 The release of tracer induced by nerve stimulation or noradrenaline was markedly reduced or abolished by phenoxybenzamine, which also inhibited the vasoconstrictor response. The release following angiotensin II, ischaemia and hypoxia could not be antagonized by this alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist. 4 the radioactivity in the kidney was predominantly in nucleotide form, while that released was composed mainly of nucleosides, of which adenosine predominated. 5 The results indicate that in the rabbit kidney vasocontriction, arterial clamping or reduced perfusion oxygen tension, cause release of adenosine and related compounds. In view of the reported actions of adenosine on noradrenaline effects and release in the kidney a possible physiological role is discussed.

Adenosine production in the ischemic kidney

We conducted experiments to determine (1) tissue, blood, and urine levels of adenosine produced by the ischemic kidney under conditions of renal artery occlusion, and (2) the site(s) of production and release of adenosine by the kidney. Concentrations of adenosine, inosine, and hypoxanthine in the dog urine were found to increase after 2 minutes of renal artery occlusion as were concentrations of these metabolites in renal tissue after 10 minutes of renal artery occlusion. Renal venous plasma levels of inosine and hypoxanthine also were elevated after 3 minutes of arterial occlusion. In modified stop-flow experiments, adenosine appeared in the urine in a peak that corresponded most closely with proximal tubule fluid. 5'-Nucleotidase, the enzyme which catalyzes the dephosphorylation of 5'-AMP or 5'-IMP to adenosine or inosine, respectively, was found to be located primarily on the external membranes and mitochondria of proximal tubule cells, but not in distal tubule or collecting duct cells. Since adenosine has been demonstrated to elicit renal vasoconstriction and is produced by the ischemic kidney, it is suggested that adenosine may be involved in the mediation of postocclusion renal ischemia.