Effects of adenosine in simulated ischemia and reperfusion in guinea pig ventricular myocytes.. Cordeiro, Jm, Gr Ferrier, and Se Howlett. Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
APStracts 2:0042H, 1995.
Effects of adenosine on cardiac cellular electrical and contractile activity were determined during ischemia and reperfusion. Electrical activity was recorded with conventional and voltage clamp techniques. Contractions were monitored with a video edge detector. Myocytes were exposed to simulated ischemia (20 min), in the presence or absence of adenosine (1-50[mu]M), and reperfused with Tyrode's solution. Adenosine had no effects under control conditions. However, action potential abbreviation during ischemia was greater in the presence of adenosine than control, and recovery was delayed. In ischemia, ICa declined equally and contractions were abolished in control and adenosine -treated myocytes. In early reperfusion, oscillatory afterpotentials (OAP), transient inward current (ITI), and aftercontractions appeared and contractions increased above pre-ischemic levels. Adenosine abolished contractile overshoot and reduced incidence of OAP, ITI and aftercontractions from 78% to 37.5%. The effects of exogenous adenosine were inhibited by A1 receptor blockade. Inhibition of endogenous adenosine by 8-phenyltheophylline only increased incidence of ITI. Thus, exogenous adenosine in ischemia may protect the myocardium in reperfusion via A1 adenosine receptors.

Received 18 February 1994; accepted in final form 27 January
1995.
APS Manuscript Number H165-4.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Heart Circ. Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 24 February 1995.