Adenosine-A1 Receptors Activation Restores the Suppressed Cardioprotective Effects of Ischemic Preconditioning in Hyperhomocysteinemic Rat Hearts

Diabetes complications and extracellular vesicle therapy

Diabetes is a chronic disorder characterized by dysregulated glycemic conditions. Diabetic complications include microvascular and macrovascular abnormalities and account for high morbidity and mortality rates in patients. Current clinical approaches for diabetic complications are limited to symptomatic treatments and tight control of blood sugar levels. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by somatic and stem cells have recently emerged as a new class of potent cell-free therapeutic delivery packets with a great potential to treat diabetic complications. EVs contain a mixture of bioactive molecules and can affect underlying pathological processes in favor of tissue healing. In addition, EVs have low immunogenicity and high storage capacity while maintaining nearly the same regenerative and immunomodulatory effects compared to current cell-based therapies. Therefore, EVs have received increasing attention for diabetes-related complications in recent years. In this review, we provide an outlook on diabetic complications and summarizes new knowledge and advances in EV applications. Moreover, we highlight recommendations for future EV-related research.

Synthesis of Ribavirin, Tecadenoson, and Cladribine by Enzymatic Transglycosylation

Despite the impressive progress in nucleoside chemistry to date, the synthesis of nucleoside analogues is still a challenge. Chemoenzymatic synthesis has been proven to overcome most of the constraints of conventional nucleoside chemistry. A purine nucleoside phosphorylase from Aeromonas hydrophila (AhPNP) has been used herein to catalyze the synthesis of Ribavirin, Tecadenoson, and Cladribine, by a “one-pot, one-enzyme” transglycosylation, which is the transfer of the carbohydrate moiety from a nucleoside donor to a heterocyclic base. As the sugar donor, 7-methylguanosine iodide and its 2′-deoxy counterpart were synthesized and incubated either with the “purine-like” base or the modified purine of the three selected APIs. Good conversions (49–67%) were achieved in all cases under screening conditions. Following this synthetic scheme, 7-methylguanine arabinoside iodide was also prepared with the purpose to synthesize the antiviral Vidarabine by a novel approach. However, in this case, neither the phosphorolysis of the sugar donor, nor the transglycosylation reaction were observed. This study was enlarged to two other ribonucleosides structurally related to Ribavirin and Tecadenoson, namely, Acadesine, or AICAR, and 2-chloro-N6-cyclopentyladenosine, or CCPA. Only the formation of CCPA was observed (52%). This study paves the way for the development of a new synthesis of the target APIs at a preparative scale. Furthermore, the screening herein reported contributes to the collection of new data about the specific substrate requirements of AhPNP.

Adenosine and its receptors in the heart: regulation, retaliation and adaptation

The purine nucleoside adenosine is an important regulator within the cardiovascular system, and throughout the body. Released in response to perturbations in energy state, among other stimuli, local adenosine interacts with 4 adenosine receptor sub-types on constituent cardiac and vascular cells: A(1), A(2A), A(2B), and A(3)ARs. These G-protein coupled receptors mediate varied responses, from modulation of coronary flow, heart rate and contraction, to cardioprotection, inflammatory regulation, and control of cell growth and tissue remodeling. Research also unveils an increasingly complex interplay between members of the adenosine receptor family, and with other receptor groups. Given generally favorable effects of adenosine receptor activity (e.g. improving the balance between myocardial energy utilization and supply, limiting injury and adverse remodeling, suppressing inflammation), the adenosine receptor system is an attractive target for therapeutic manipulation. Cardiovascular adenosine receptor-based therapies are already in place, and trials of new treatments underway. Although the complex interplay between adenosine receptors and other receptors, and their wide distribution and functions, pose challenges to implementation of site/target specific cardiovascular therapy, the potential of adenosinergic pharmacotherapy can be more fully realized with greater understanding of the roles of adenosine receptors under physiological and pathological conditions. This review addresses some of the major known and proposed actions of adenosine and adenosine receptors in the heart and vessels, focusing on the ability of the adenosine receptor system to regulate cell function, retaliate against injurious stressors, and mediate longer-term adaptive responses.