Postsynaptic release of adenosine triphosphate induced by single impulse transmitter action

ATP release during seizures - A critical evaluation of the evidence

That adenosine 5' triphosphate (ATP) functions as an extracellular signaling molecule has been established since the 1970s. Ubiquitous throughout the body as the principal molecular store of intracellular energy, ATP has a short extracellular half-life and is difficult to measure directly. Extracellular ATP concentrations are dependent both on the rate of cellular release and of enzymatic degradation. Some findings from in vitro studies suggest that extracellular ATP concentrations increase during high levels of neuronal activity and seizure-like events in hippocampal slices. Pharmacological studies suggest that antagonism of ATP-sensitive purinergic receptors can suppress the severity of seizures and block epileptogenesis. Directly measuring extracellular ATP concentrations in the brain, however, has a number of specific challenges, notably, the rapid hydrolysis of ATP and huge gradient between intracellular and extracellular compartments. Two studies using microdialysis found no change in extracellular ATP in the hippocampus of rats during experimentally-induced status epilepticus. One of which demonstrated that ATP increased measurably, only in the presence of ectoATPase inhibitors, with the other study demonstrating increases only during later spontaneous seizures. Current evidence is mixed and seems highly dependent on the model used and method of detection. More sensitive methods of detection with higher spatial resolution, which induce less tissue disruption will be necessary to provide evidence for or against the hypothesis of seizure-induced elevations in extracellular ATP. Here we describe the current hypothesis for ATP release during seizures and its role in epileptogenesis, describe the technical challenges involved and critically examine the current evidence.

The Warburg effect: evolving interpretations of an established concept

Metabolic reprogramming and altered bioenergetics have emerged as hallmarks of cancer and an area of active basic and translational cancer research. Drastically upregulated glucose transport and metabolism in most cancers regardless of the oxygen supply, a phenomenon called the Warburg effect, is a major focuses of the research. Warburg speculated that cancer cells, due to defective mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), switch to glycolysis for ATP synthesis, even in the presence of oxygen. Studies in the recent decade indicated that while glycolysis is indeed drastically upregulated in almost all cancer cells, mitochondrial respiration continues to operate normally at rates proportional to oxygen supply. There is no OXPHOS-to-glycolysis switch but rather upregulation of glycolysis. Furthermore, upregulated glycolysis appears to be for synthesis of biomass and reducing equivalents in addition to ATP production. The new finding that a significant amount of glycolytic intermediates is diverted to the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) for production of NADPH has profound implications in how cancer cells use the Warburg effect to cope with reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and oxidative stress, opening the door for anticancer interventions taking advantage of this. Recent findings in the Warburg effect and its relationship with ROS and oxidative stress controls will be reviewed. Cancer treatment strategies based on these new findings will be presented and discussed.

Release of adenosine and ATP during ischemia and epilepsy

Eighty years ago Drury & Szent-Györgyi described the actions of adenosine, AMP (adenylic acid) and ATP (pyrophosphoric or diphosphoric ester of adenylic acid) on the mammalian cardiovascular system, skeletal muscle, intestinal and urinary systems. Since then considerable insight has been gleaned on the means by which these compounds act, not least of which in the distinction between the two broad classes of their respective receptors, with their many subtypes, and the ensuing diversity in cellular consequences their activation invokes. These myriad actions are of course predicated on the release of the purines into the extracellular milieu, but, surprisingly, there is still considerable ambiguity as to how this occurs in various physiological and pathophysiological conditions. In this review we summarise the release of ATP and adenosine during seizures and cerebral ischemia and discuss mechanisms by which the purines adenosine and ATP may be released from cells in the CNS under these conditions.

Evolutionary origins of the purinergic signalling system

Purines appear to be the most primitive and widespread chemical messengers in the animal and plant kingdoms. The evidence for purinergic signalling in plants, invertebrates and lower vertebrates is reviewed. Much is based on pharmacological studies, but important recent studies have utilized the techniques of molecular biology and receptors have been cloned and characterized in primitive invertebrates, including the social amoeba Dictyostelium and the platyhelminth Schistosoma, as well as the green algae Ostreococcus, which resemble P2X receptors identified in mammals. This suggests that contrary to earlier speculations, P2X ion channel receptors appeared early in evolution, while G protein-coupled P1 and P2Y receptors were introduced either at the same time or perhaps even later. The absence of gene coding for P2X receptors in some animal groups [e.g. in some insects, roundworms (Caenorhabditis elegans) and the plant Arabidopsis] in contrast to the potent pharmacological actions of nucleotides in the same species, suggests that novel receptors are still to be discovered.

A case of serendipity*

An account is given of how a sensitive bioassay system for measurement of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine serendipitously led to the identification of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) released in vitro from active skeletal muscle. Subsequent application of the identification procedures to exercising human muscle in vivo, cardiac muscle cells in vitro, and human erythrocytes exposed to hypoxia gave rise to the general concept of ATP as a molecule that could influence cell function from the extracellular direction. Mechanisms of ATP release from cells in terms of “trigger” events such as mechanical distortion of the membrane, depolarization of the membrane, and exposure to hypoxia are discussed. Potential therapeutic uses of extracellular ATP in cancer therapy, radiation therapy, and a possible influence upon aging are discussed. Possible roles (distant and local) of extracellular ATP released from muscle during whole body exercise are discussed.

Cloning, molecular characterization and expression of ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase-1 from Torpedo electric organ

During synaptic transmission large amounts of ATP are released from pre- and post-synaptic sources of Torpedo electric organ. A chain reaction sequentially hydrolyses ATP to adenosine, which inhibits acetylcholine secretion. The first enzyme implicated in this extracellular ATP hydrolysis is an ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (E-NTPDase) that dephosphorylates both ATP and ADP to AMP. This enzyme has been biochemically characterized in the synaptosomal fraction of Torpedo electric organ, having almost equal affinity for ATP as for ADP, a fact that pointed to the type-1 NTPDase enzyme. In the present work we describe the cloning and molecular characterization of the cDNA for an NTPDase from Torpedo marmorata electric organ. The clone, obtained using the RACE-PCR technique, contains and open-reading frame of 1506bp and encodes a 502 amino acids protein that exhibits high homology with other NTPDases1 from vertebrates previously identified, including those of zebrafish and Xenopus, as well as human, rat and mouse. Topology analyses revealed the existence of two transmembrane regions, two short cytoplasmic tails and a long extracellular domain containing five apyrase-conserved regions. Gene expression studies revealed that this gene is expressed in all the Torpedo tissues analyzed. Finally, activity and cellular localization of the protein encoded by this newly cloned cDNA was assessed by heterologous expression experiments involving COS-7 and HeLa cells.

Gadolinium inhibition of ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase activity in Torpedo electric organ

Ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases (E-NTPDases) are widely expressed enzymes implicated in the modulation of nucleotide cell signaling. They dephosphorylate either ATP or ADP in the presence of divalent cations, and efforts have been made to identify efficient inhibitors. E-NTPDase activity has been described in Torpedo electric organ electrocytes. We show here that gadolinium, an established blocker of stretch-activated channels, efficiently inhibits E-NTPDase activity of Torpedo electric organ (Ki = 3 microM for ATPase) as well as apyrase from potato tuber, frequently used in inhibition experiments. To our knowledge, gadolinium is the most potent inhibitor described to date for both membrane-bound and soluble E-NTPDases.

Biochemistry, localization and functional roles of ecto-nucleotidases in the nervous system

Nucleotides such as ATP, ADP, UTP or the diadenosine polyphosphates and possibly even NAD+ are extracellular signaling substances in the brain and in other tissues. Enzymes located on the cell surface catalyze the hydrolysis of these compounds and thus limit their spatio-temporal activity. As a final hydrolysis product they generate the nucleoside and phosphate. The paper discusses the biochemical properties, cellular localization and functional properties of surface-located enzymes that hydrolyse nucleotides released from nervous tissue. This is preceded by a brief discussion of nucleotide receptors, cellular storage and mechanisms of nucleotide release. In nervous tissue nucleoside 5'-triphosphates are hydrolysed by ecto-ATP-diphosphohydrolase and possibly in addition also by ecto-nucleoside triphosphatase and ecto-nucleoside diphosphatase. The molecular identity of the ATP-diphosphohydrolase has now been revealed. The hydrolysis of nucleoside 5'-monophosphates is catalysed by 5'-nucleotidase whose biochemical properties and molecular structure have been studied in detail. Little is known about the molecular properties of the diadenosine polyphosphatases. Surface located enzymes for the extracellular hydrolysis of NAD+ and also ecto-protein kinases are discussed briefly. The cellular localization of the ecto-nucleotidases is only partly defined. Whereas in adult mammalian brain activity for hydrolysis of ATP and ADP may be associated with nerve cells or glial cells 5'-nucleotidase appears to have a preferential glial allocation in the adult mammal. The extracellular hydrolysis of the nucleotides is of functional importance not only during synaptic transmission where it functions in signal elimination. It plays a crucial role also for the survival and differentiation of neural cells in vitro and presumably during neuronal development in vivo.

Action of suramin upon ecto-apyrase activity and synaptic depression of Torpedo electric organ

1. The role of ATP, which is co-released with acetylcholine in synaptic contacts of Torpedo electric organ, was investigated by use of suramin. Suramin [8-(3-benzamido-4-methylbenzamido)naphthalene-1,3,5-trisulphoni c acid], a P2 purinoceptor antagonist, potently inhibited in a non-competitive manner the ecto-apyrase activity associated with plasma membrane isolated from cholinergic nerve terminals of Torpedo electric organ. The Ki was 30 microM and 43 microM for Ca(2+)-ADPase and Ca(2+)-ATPase respectively. 2. In Torpedo electric organ, repetitive stimulation decreased the evoked synaptic current by 51%. However, when fragments of electric organ were incubated with suramin the evoked synaptic current declined by only 14%. Fragments incubated with the selective A1 purinoceptor antagonist, DPCPX, showed 5% synaptic depression. 3. The effects of suramin and DPCPX on synaptic depression were not addictive. Synaptic depression may thus be linked to endogenous adenosine formed by dephosphorylation of released ATP by an ecto-apyrase. The final effector in synaptic depression, adenosine, acts via the A1 purinoceptor. 4. ATP hydrolysis is prevented in the presence of suramin. It slightly increased (20%) the mean amplitude of spontaneous miniature endplate currents. The frequency distribution of the amplitude of spontaneous events was shifted to the right, indicating that ATP, when not degraded, may modulate the activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors activated by the quantal secretion of acetycholine.

Potentiation by endogenously released ATP of spontaneous transmitter secretion at developing neuromuscular synapses in Xenopus cell cultures

1. Previously we have shown that extracellular application of ATP, a substance co-stored and co-released with acetylcholine (ACh) in the peripheral nervous system, markedly potentiated the frequency of spontaneous synaptic currents (SSCs) produced by ACh. In the present study, we have further characterized the purinoceptor which mediates the potentiation effect of ATP and the role of endogenously released ATP. 2. Pretreatment with a P2-purinoceptor antagonist, suramin (0.3 mM), but not a P1-purinoceptor antagonist, 8-phenyltheophylline (0.1 mM), prevented the potentiating effect of ATP. 3. We studied the role of endogenously released ATP by examining the effect of a specific P2-purinoceptor antagonist on the frequency of spontaneous synaptic events at high-activity synapses (> or = 3 Hz) and found that suramin, but not 8-phenyltheophylline markedly reduced the frequency of SSCs at these high-activity synapses. In addition, desensitizing the P2-purinoceptor with alpha,beta-methylene ATP also produced similar effects to suramin. 4. Extracellular application of the L-type Ca2+ channel blockers, verapamil, nifedipine or diltiazem (10 microM each) reduced SSC frequency of high-activity synapses, while the N-type Ca2+ channel blocker, omega-conotoxin had no appreciable effect. The potentiating effect of ATP was further prevented by pretreatment with the L-type Ca2+ channel blockers. On the other hand, Bay K 8644, which is a depolarization-dependent L-type Ca2+ channel agonist, potentiated SSC frequency at these high-activity synapses. 5. These results suggest that endogenous release of ATP at developing neuromuscular synapses is responsible for the maintenance of high levels of spontaneous ACh release, which is known to play a crucial role in regulating postsynaptic differentiation.

Potentiation of miniature endplate potential frequency by ATP in Xenopus tadpoles

1. Extracellular application of ATP (1 mM), a substance co-stored and co-released with acetylcholine in peripheral nervous systems, potentiated the spontaneous secretion of acetylcholine (ACh) but had no effect on the amplitude and decay time constant of miniature endplate potentials (m.e.p.ps) at neuromuscular synapses in Xenopus tadpoles. 2. alpha,beta-Methylene ATP (0.3 mM) and GTP (1 mM) were also effective in increasing m.e.p.p. frequency. On the other hand, ADP, AMP and adenosine (all at 1 mM) decreased m.e.p.p. frequency. 3. Unlike the transient effect of ATP analogue and GTP on m.e.p.p. frequency, the phorbol ester TPA (2 microM) which is a protein kinase C activator, increased m.e.p.p. frequency consistently and the effects lasted as long as the presence of TPA. 4. Staurosporine (0.5 microM) and H-7 (10 microM), which are protein kinase C inhibitors, each decreased the basal level of m.e.p.p. frequency and markedly inhibited the effects of both ATP and TPA. 5. These results suggest that there is a basal activity of cytosolic protein kinases in the nerve terminals of Xenopus tadpoles and the effect of ATP is probably mediated by the binding of membrane surface purinoceptors which in turn activates cytosolic protein kinases and increases ACh release.

Adenosine 5'-monophosphate transport across the membrane of synaptosomes and myelin

Synaptosome-enriched preparations from rat and guinea pig brain tissue vigorously accumulated [3H]-adenosine 5'-monophosphate ([3H]AMP). When the accumulation of [3H]AMP was determined using incubation periods of 30 s or less, high concentrations of adenosine, dipyridamole and soluflazine did not inhibit the accumulation of label appreciably. The accumulation of [3H]AMP was saturable, temperature-dependent, osmotic-sensitive and exhibited structural specificity. Based on the kinetics of uptake by different subcellular fractions, and the inhibitory effects of other nucleotides, the uptake of AMP appeared to be mediated by three saturable systems with Kt values of approximately 0.2, 6, and 100 microM. The transport system with the highest affinity for AMP was selectively inhibited by guanosine 5'-monophosphate, and its Vmax was several fold higher in a myelin-enriched fraction than in synaptosome-enriched fractions. The transport system with the Kt approximately 6 microM was selectively inhibited by alpha, beta-methylene adenosine diphosphate, and its Vmax was several times higher in a fraction enriched in high-density synaptosomes than in fractions enriched in low-density synaptosomes or myelin. Both of these transport systems were potently inhibited by ATP and ADP. Nucleotides that were either weak or inactive as inhibitors of AMP transport included 3'-AMP, cyclic AMP, guanosine 5'-diphosphate, and the 5'-mononucleotides of cytosine, inosine, and uridine. GTP consistently enhanced uptake at concentrations greater than or equal to 1 microM. The transport of AMP was not Na(+)-dependent and was not inhibited by membrane depolarization. This transport system may mediate the release of AMP for subsequent conversion to adenosine extracellularly.

Nonopioid effect of morphine on electrically evoked acetylcholine release from Torpedo electromotor neurons

The release of acetylcholine from Torpedo electric organ slices following their electrical stimulation was modulated by morphine, by the muscarinic antagonist atropine, and by the nicotinic antagonist tubocurarine. Addition of either atropine or tubocurarine in the presence of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor phospholine iodide enhanced acetylcholine release. The effects of the two antagonists were additive, a result suggesting that the secreted acetylcholine regulates its own release by activating both muscarinic and nicotinic cholinergic receptors and that these receptors inhibit acetylcholine release by different mechanisms. The effects of opiates on acetylcholine release were examined under conditions in which the cholinergic modulation of release is blocked, i.e., in the presence of atropine and tubocurarine. These experiments revealed that electrically evoked release of acetylcholine is blocked by the opiate agonists morphine and levorphanol. However, the inhibitory effect of morphine on acetylcholine release was not reversed by the opioid antagonist naloxone. Furthermore, dextrorphan, the nonopioid stereoisomer of levorphanol, had the same inhibitory effect as its opioid counterpart. These findings suggest that the effects of opiates on electrically evoked release of acetylcholine are not mediated by opioid receptors. The possible mechanisms underlying these nonopioid effects of morphine and levorphanol are discussed.

Sources of adenosine released during neuromuscular transmission in the rat

1. The levels of adenine nucleotides and adenosine which accumulate in the neuromuscular junction during nerve stimulation of the rat extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle were assayed biochemically. The sources were also determined by the use of different inhibitors. 2. ATP and total adenine nucleotide release increased as stimulation frequency increased, consistent with previous evidence indicating ATP release from presynaptic sources. 3. Adenosine levels also increased during nerve stimulation. However, accumulation decreased by 46-58% when muscle activation was blocked by the addition of d-tubocurarine (dTC). Adenosine levels also decreased by 40-59% when adenine nucleotide hydrolysis to adenosine was blocked by the addition of 1 mM-alpha,beta-methyladenosine 5'-diphosphate. Thus, approximately half of the extracellular adenosine is released from activated muscle while the other half is derived from adenine nucleotide hydrolysis. 4. Similar quantities of adenine nucleotide and acetylcholine (ACh) accumulated during nerve stimulation. With adenine nucleotide and ACh hydrolysis blocked by alpha,beta-methyladenosine 5'-diphosphate and eserine, respectively, the calculated amounts of adenine nucleotide and ACh released were 1.2 x 10(-16) and 1.5 x 10(-16) mol (stimulus impulse)-1 endplate-1. 5. AH5183 (vesamicol), which blocks ACh release, reduced extracellular ACh and adenine nucleotide accumulation by 40 and 45%, respectively. It did not affect adenosine release from the activated muscle. 6. Theophylline (100 microM), which blocks adenosine receptors, caused ATP accumulation to increase by 38%; extracellular levels of adenosine derived from adenine nucleotide hydrolysis also increased by 17%. These results are consistent with the presence of adenosine-mediated inhibition of adenine nucleotide release. 7. It is concluded that adenine nucleotides (presumably in the form of ATP) and ACh are released jointly, and that ATP is hydrolysed fairly rapidly to adenosine. Adenosine resulting from ATP hydrolysis accounts for about half of the extracellular adenosine accumulating during nerve stimulation, while the other half is released directly by the underlying muscle.

Irreversible desensitization of ATP responses in developing chick skeletal muscle

1. In developing chick skeletal muscle, extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) elicits an early excitatory conductance increase followed by a late potassium conductance increase. Both of these responses desensitize profoundly. Intracellular recordings and whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings were made in order to examine the time course and mechanism of desensitization and the recovery from desensitization. 2. Most of the loss of responsiveness to ATP occurred during the first minute of exposure to ATP. For the excitatory conductance, the loss of responsiveness to ATP resulted in part from long-lasting activation of the ATP-sensitive channels and in part from entrance into an inactive (non-conducting) state. In contrast, desensitization of the potassium conductance was entirely the result of a relatively fast transition to an inactive state. 3. Recovery from desensitization took many hours for both responses and was quite sensitive to temperature. 4. Recovery from desensitization for both responses was prevented by preincubation with the glycosylation inhibitor, tunicamycin. Several lines of evidence suggest that tunicamycin treatment blocked the delivery of new ATP receptors to the cell surface. 5. The recovery of the early response to ATP following exposure to two non-competitive inhibitors of the ATP response was also examined. These two compounds are thought to covalently modify the receptor. After exposure to either of these inhibitors, responsiveness to ATP returned over a time course that was similar to the time course of recovery from desensitization. 6. These results indicate that, following activation, ATP receptors do not become available for reactivation, and that recovery from desensitization is due to the insertion of newly synthesized receptors into the plasma membrane.

Ecto-ATPase of mammalian synaptosomes: identification and enzymic characterization

Intact synaptosomes isolated from mammalian brain tissues (rat, mouse, gerbil, and human) have an ATP hydrolyzing enzyme activity on their external surface. The synaptosomal ecto-ATPase(s) possesses characteristics consistent with those that have been described for ecto-ATPases of various other cell types. The enzyme has a high affinity for ATP (the apparent Km values are in the range of 2-5 X 10(-5) M), and is apparently stimulated equally well by either Mg2+ or Ca2+ in the absence of any other cations. The apparent activation constant for both divalent cations is approximately 4 X 10(-4) M in all mammalian brain tissues studied. The involvement of a non-specific phosphatase in the hydrolysis of externally added ATP is excluded. ATP hydrolysis is maximal in the pH range 7.4-7.8 for both divalent cation-dependent ATPase activities. Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, 2,4-dinitrophenol, trifluoperazine, chlorpromazine, and p-chloromercuribenzoate (50 microM) inhibit the ecto-ATPase, whereas ouabain (1 mM) and oligomycin (3.5 micrograms X mg-1 protein) show little or no inhibition of this enzyme activity. Inhibitor data suggest that the Mg2+- and Ca2+-dependent ecto-ATPase may represent two different enzymes on the surface of synaptosomes.

Appearance of adenosine triphosphate in the perfusate from working frog heart

Frog hearts (Rana pipiens) were perfused in situ with Ringer's solution and the perfusate tested on firefly extract for the presence of ATP. At a normal perfusion pressure of 8 cm. H2O the rate of release of ATP into the perfusate was 8.8 (+/- S.E.1.7) pmoles.min-1. When the workload was increased by raising the perfusion pressure to 12 cm. H2O the rate of release increased to 28.3 (+/- S.E.4.8) pmoles.min-1. The rate of release was found to be proportional to the amount of workload imposed upon the heart. It is postulated that the trigger for release is hypoxia and that the release of ATP from the cardiac cell will augment contractility of the myocardium through its action upon adjacent cells via the P2 purinergic receptor. cells via the P2 purinergic receptor.

Simultaneous release of acetylcholine and ATP from stimulated cholinergic synaptosomes

The release of acetylcholine (ACh) and ATP from pure cholinergic synaptosomes isolated from the electric organ of Torpedo was studied in the same perfused sample. A presynaptic ATP release was demonstrated either by depolarization with KCl or after the action of a venom extracted from the annelid Glycera convoluta (GV). The release of ATP exhibited similar kinetics to that of ACh release and was therefore probably closely related to the latter. The ACh/ATP ratio in perfusates after KCl depolarization was 45; this was much higher than the ACh/ATP ratio in cholinergic synaptic vesicles, which was 5. The ACh/ATP ratio released after the action of GV was also higher than that of synaptic vesicles. These differences are discussed. The stoichiometry of that of synaptic vesicles. These differences are discussed. The stoichiometry of ACh and ATP release is not consistent with the view that the whole synaptic vesicle content is released by exocytosis after KCl depolarization, as is the case for chromaffin cells in the adrenal medulla.

Appearance of adenosine triphosphate in the coronary sinus effluent from isolated working rat heart in response to hypoxia

1. A working rat heart preparation was used to study the release of adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) into the coronary sinus effluent in response to hypoxia. 2. The left ventricle was set to pump against an hydrostatic pressure of 65 cm water; the left atrial filling pressure was kept constant at 10 cm water. The power output of the heart at these pressures was estimated to be approximately one half of the maximum power development. 3. Samples for ATP assay were collected (a) 30 sec before onset of hypoxia, (b) 60-90 sec after onset of hypoxia, (c) 5 min after restoration of oxygenated buffer solution. Respective concentrations of ATP were (nM +/- S.E.) 0.63 (+/- 0.18), 4.70 (+/- 0.39) and 0.63 (+/- 0.06). The total amounts of ATP detected were (p-mole/min) 5.9 (+/- 0.9), 46.1 (+/- 6.0) and 5.5 (+/- 1.2) respectively. 4. Viability of the hearts was judged to be satisfactory on the following grounds. Alterations in left atrial filling pressure produced typical Frank-Starling responses of the left ventricle. Oxygen extraction from the perfusate increased in response to increased workload. Coronary blood flow increased immediately upon introduction of hypoxic conditions and mechanical recovery from hypoxia was always complete within 5 min of restoring oxygen. 5. In view of the marked extracellular ATPase activity it is concluded that significant vasodilatory concentrations of ATP are released into the myocardial extracellular space in response to hypoxia. A scheme is proposed describing the possible role of adenine nucleotides in the local control of myocardial blood flow.

Distribution and release of adenosine triphosphate in rat brain

The steady-state level of brain ATP was measured after the tissue had been treated with a focused microwave irradiation system. The brain ATP content (1.50 nmol/mg tissue) obtained by microwave fixation is similar to that observed by others using fast-freezing and microwave fixation techniques. The concentrations of ATP in different brain regions show a rather uniform distribution, ranging from 1.918 +/- 0.059 (brainstem) to 2.393 +/- 0.19 (caudate) nmol/mg tissue; however, insufficient microwave fixation time seems to produce a greater regional variation of ATP. Release of ATP was investigated by placing a cup on the sensory-motor cortex. The rate for basal release of ATP is 1.43 +/- 0.14 femtomole/min/mm(2). A 30-fold increase in ATP release was obtained by direct stimulation of the cortex with 5 mA pulses of 0.2 msec duration at a rate of 20/sec over a period of 10 min. These results, in conjunction with others describing the potent pharmacological action of the nucleotide, seem to suggest that ATP could be a mediator in a "purinergic" system in the CNS.

On the kinetics of acetylcholine at the synapse

Electrophysiologic, morphologic, and biochemical definitions of the synapse will be correlated spatially and temporally. Postsynaptic fatigue and facilitation follow oscillations of the free pool of acetylcholine, predicted by the kinetic theory and observed at the electric organ of Torpedo marmorata. The underlying thermodynamic instability exhibits properties of the Na+--K+-dependent hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate and represents a necessary condition for synaptic memory.