Autoradiographic localization of mouse brain adenosine receptors with an antagonist ([3H]xanthine amine congener) ligand probe

Behavioural effects of adenosine locally applied into ventral hippocampus of adult male rats

The possible effects of Adenosine (AD), locally applied into the ventral Hippocampus (HPCv) on the expression of general motor activity and some stereotyped behaviours were studied in adult male rats. Locomotion display was recorded in a hole-board equipped with automatic infrared animal activity detectors. Stereotyped behaviours were measured by direct inspection by two observers. Animals were implanted with microinjection cannulae into the HPCv and 72 h later they were injected with saline, or increasing doses of AD. In one experiment rats were microinjected once with saline or Adenosine and general motor activity and exploration were examined. In other experiment, rats were injected into the HPCv twice with saline, the AD-receptors antagonist 1,3-dipropil-methyl-xanthine (DMX) or AD and only stereotyped behaviours were examined. Results of Experiment 1 showed that the 40 nMol dose of AD was significantly effective to inhibit by about 30% several motor activities such as vertical, horizontal and ambulatory behaviours. Results of Experiment 2, showed that grooming was not modified by AD but the dose of 10 nMol increased the time of immobility by about 3 times over controls. DMX was able to block completely the AD effects on immobility. The present results suggest that in the rat AD might modulate the hippocampal-mediated expression of some motor and stereotyped behaviours induced by unknown environments.

Effects of neonatal exposure to caffeine on adenosine A1 receptor ontogeny using autoradiography

The ontogeny of adenosine A1 receptor density was assessed via autoradiographical analysis of [3H]cyclohexyladenosine ([3H]CHA) binding in brains of 14-31-day-old rats as a function of exposure to caffeine over postnatal days 2-6. This exposure period was analogous to the period during which human infants are administered caffeine as treatment for apnea of prematurity. [3H]CHA binding was greatest in CA1 and CA3 hippocampus in both caffeine-exposed and control rats across all ages. Within the anterior, ventral, lateral and medial regions of the thalamus of unmanipulated rats, [3H]CHA binding did not change with age. In caffeine-exposed rats, however, [3H]CHA binding increased significantly within these thalamic subregions as the rats aged. In addition, with age in both treatment groups, the molecular and granular layers of the cerebellum and the CA1 and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus displayed increasing [3H]CHA density. Furthermore, regardless of age, [3H]CHA binding was decreased in the molecular layer of neonatally caffeine-exposed animals as compared to controls. Thus, limited exposure to caffeine within the first postnatal week altered the subsequent expression of adenosine A1 receptors in most subregions of the thalamus and in the molecular layer of the cerebellum.

Functional adenosine A1 receptors in goldfish brain: regional distribution and inhibition of K(+)-evoked glutamate release from cerebellar slices

In goldfish brain, [3H]cyclohexyladenosine binding sites are ubiquitously distributed with a maximum in the hypothalamus and a minimum in the spinal cord. The binding parameters measured in cerebellar membranes (Kd = 0.88 +/- 0.08 nM; Bmax = 59.65 +/- 2.62 fmol/mg protein) are not significantly different from those of the whole brain. In perfused goldfish cerebellar slices, stimulation of cyclic AMP accumulation by 10(-5) M forskolin was markedly reduced (58.7%) by treatment with 10(-4) M cyclohexyladenosine, an adenosine A1 receptor agonist, and the reduction was reversed in the presence of 10(-4) M 8-cyclopentyltheophylline, a selective A1 receptor antagonist. In the same brain preparation, 30 mM K+ stimulated the release of glutamate, glutamine, glycine and GABA in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner, whereas the aspartate and taurine release was Ca(2+)-independent. Cyclohexyladenosine inhibited the 30 mM K(+)-evoked release of glutamate in a dose-related manner. This effect was reversed by 8-cyclopentyltheophylline. These results support the hypothesis that adenosine A1 receptors present in goldfish cerebellum are involved in the modulation of glutamate transmitter release.

Adenosine receptors and their modulators

The identification and characterization of adenosine receptors and the development of potent, receptor subtype-selective agonists and antagonists has been an active area of research for the past 20 years. Major recent advances in the field have been the cloning of several adenosine receptor subtypes of different species, including the discovery of a new subtype, designated A3, the discovery and development of new agonists and antagonists, particularly those with selectivity for the A2a adenosine receptor, the characterization of signal transduction pathways, and the development of agents which act indirectly on the adenosine receptor system. The present article focusses on aspects of pharmaceutical/medicinal chemistry related to adenosine receptors.

Solubilized rabbit striatal A2a-adenosine receptors: stability and antagonist binding

The A2a-adenosine binding subunit from rabbit striatal membranes was solubilized using 1% 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate and was characterized using the antagonist radioligand [3H]8-[4-[[[[2-aminoethyl)amino]carbonyl]methyl]oxy] phenyl]-1,3-dipropylxanthine (XAC). The solubilized receptor was very stable, with 55% of the specific [3H]XAC binding remaining after storage for 15 days at 4 degrees C. The dissociation constant (Kd) for binding of [3H]XAC to solubilized A2 receptors was determined in saturation studies to be 4.0 nM, with a Bmax of 600 fmol/mg protein. Xanthine inhibitors displaced the specific binding of the adenosine antagonist [3H]XAC (in the presence of 50 nM 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine) at 25 degrees C, with Ki values consonant with the expected affinities at A2a receptors. Binding of [3H]XAC (1 nM) or the adenosine agonist [3H]2-(carboxyethylphenylethylamino)adenosine-5'-N-ethyl carboxamide (5 nM) to A2a receptors was diminished in the presence of 0.1 M Na+ in both membranes and solubilized preparations. Agonist binding was increased (by 280% for membranes and 180% for solubilized receptors), and antagonist binding was decreased in the presence of 10 mM Mg2+. Displacement of [3H]XAC by the agonist (R)-N6-phenylisopropyladenosine was biphasic, corresponding to high (IC50 = 188 nM, RH = 30%) and low (IC50 = 9730 nM, RL = 70%) affinity sites. Preincubation with 100 microM GTP (10 mM Mg2+) converted the high affinity binding to low affinity, suggesting that receptor and G-protein are dissociated by the guanine nucleotide. The solubilized receptor was more easily inactivated by exposure to the reducing agent dithiothreitol (IC50 = 3 mM) than in membranes (IC50 = 220 mM), suggesting increased accessibility of structurally essential disulfide bridges.

Characterization of human striatal A2-adenosine receptors using radioligand binding and photoaffinity labeling

The adenosine agonist [3H]CGS21680 (2-[4-[[2-carboxyethyl]phenyl]ethylamino]-5'- N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine) bound to A2 receptors in human striatal membranes with a Kd of 17.8 +/- 1.1 nM and a Bmax of 313 +/- 10 fmol/mg protein. The addition of 100 microM GTP diminished both the affinity of agonist radioligand for A2 adenosine binding sites and the total binding, resulting in Kd and Bmax values of 28.6 +/- 1.0 nM and 185 +/- 22 fmol/mg of protein. Adenosine ligands competed for [3H]CGS21680 with the expected potency order. The adenosine antagonist [3H]XAC (8-[4-[[[[(2-aminoethyl)-amino]carbonyl]methyl] oxy]phenyl]-1,3-dipropylxanthine), although A1-selective in the rat, binds to human striatal A2 receptors with high affinity. 25 nM CPX (8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine), an A1-selective antagonist, was added to the incubation medium and effectively eliminated 91% of [3H]XAC (1 nM) binding to human A1 receptors, yet preserved 90% of binding to A2 receptors. [3H]XAC exhibited saturable, specific binding (50% of total) to A2 sites with a Kd of 2.98 +/- 0.54 nM and a Bmax of 0.71 +/- 0.23 pmol/mg protein (25 degrees C, non-specific binding defined with 100 microM NECA). The potency order for antagonists against 1 nM [3H]XAC was CGS15943A greater than XAC approximately PD115,119 greater than PAPA-XAC greater than CPX greater than HTQZ approximately XCC approximately CP-66,713 greater than theophylline approximately caffeine, indicative of an A2-type binding site. A2a-receptors were found to be present in the human cortex, albeit at a much lower density than in the striatum. Photoaffinity labeling using 125I-PAPA-APEC revealed a molecular weight of 45K, but proteolytic cleavage was observed, resulting in fragments of MW 43K and 37K. In the absence of proteolytic inhibitors the 37K fragment, which still bound 125I-PAPA-APEC, was predominant.

Solubilization of A1 adenosine receptor from pig brain: characterization and evidence of the role of the cell membrane on the coexistence of high- and low-affinity states

The present solubilization strategy recognizes the important role of detergent cocktails in the solubilization and subsequent stability of adenosine A1, receptors from pig brain cortical membranes. The 3-[3-(cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propane-sulfonate-digitonin mixture produced the extraction of up to 52% of the receptor with an enrichment of 1.2-fold with respect to crude membranes. The binding activity of the soluble extract was very stable even in the absence of glycerol. In crude membranes the existence of high- and low-affinity states was detected, but in the soluble extract and in the detergent-treated membranes only the high-affinity state was detected. Association-dissociation curves showed that in crude membranes no interconversion between high- and low-affinity sites is produced by the association of the ligand [3H]R-N6-phenylisopropyladenosine. These results suggest that the high- and low-affinity states are different conformations induced by the structure of the membrane. The modulation of the binding activity by (Gpp(NH)p) 5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate and Mg2+ was studied. In crude membranes Gpp(NH)p shifted the high-affinity state to the low-affinity state, whereas the contrary occurred when Mg2+ was used. The effect of both Mg2+ and Gpp(NH)p was also assayed with the soluble extract and with the detergent-treated membranes. In addition to a decrease of the overall binding capacity, Gpp(NH)p promoted a conversion to all low-affinity states in the detergent-treated membranes or to all very-low-affinity sites in the soluble extract. Mg2+ and Gpp(NH)p counteracted their effects in intact membranes, whereas Mg2+ could not reverse the uncoupling effect of Gpp(NH)p with solubilized or detergent-treated membranes. Thus, it is suggested that Mg2+ acts at sites other than guanine-nucleotide-sensitive sites. If high-affinity states correspond to receptor/G protein complexes and low-affinity states correspond to the uncoupled receptor, we should conclude that Mg2+, as well as the loss of membrane integrity, favours the interaction of A1 receptor molecule with G protein.

Autoradiographic visualization of A1 adenosine receptors in rat brain with [3H]8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine

A1 adenosine receptors were labeled in rat brain sections with the antagonist [3H]8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine ([3H]DPCPX) and visualized at the light microscopic level using autoradiography. The specific binding of [3H]DPCPX to the sections showed the pharmacological characteristics of A1 adenosine receptors and was accompanied by very low levels of nonspecific binding. Whereas GTP had no significant effect on [3H]DPCPX binding to rat brain membranes, the addition of 100 microM GTP increased the apparent affinity of [3H]DPCPX to tissue sections fivefold (from 1.83 to 0.35 nM), enhancing it to the affinity measured in membranes. However, GTP altered neither the binding capacity nor the distribution of binding sites in tissue sections. It is suggested that a competitive antagonism with endogenous adenosine explains the lower affinity of [3H]DPCPX in the absence of GTP. The autoradiographic pattern of [3H]DPCPX binding was characteristic for A1 adenosine receptors. Distinct labeling of the different layers of the cerebellar cortex was shown by photomicrographs generated with the coverslip technique. In addition, several fiber tracts were found to be labeled. The high selectivity for A1 adenosine receptors and low nonspecific binding of [3H]DPCPX, the ability to produce high-resolution autoradiograms, together with the fact that the effects of endogenous adenosine can be eliminated by the addition of GTP make [3H]DPCPX a very useful tool in the autoradiographic study of A1 adenosine receptors.