5-Amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide riboside raises adenosine in perfused hypoxic rat heart

The effects of 5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide riboside (rAICA) on coronary adenosine efflux were examined in blood-free perfused working rat heart preparations subjected to mild (70% O2) and severe hypoxia (45% O2). Under these hypoxic conditions, no significant increase of coronary adenosine effluxes was observed in the presence of 300 microM rAICA alone. However, rAICA-induced augmentation of coronary adenosine efflux during hypoxia was revealed in the presence of an adenosine deaminase inhibitor, erythro-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine hydrochloride, indicating that the failure to note the increase in coronary adenosine efflux was due to a rapid deamination of adenosine to inosine. A depression in heart rate during mild and severe hypoxia was significantly exacerbated by rAICA. These effects on heart rate were mediated by adenosine, since they were effectively blocked by 1,3-dipropyl-8-(2-amino-4-chlorophenyl)xanthine, a selective adenosine A1-receptor antagonist. These results suggest that rAICA elevates adenosine efflux during hypoxia.