Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 30, 2026

HPLC-based Assay to Monitor Extracellular Nucleotide/Nucleoside Metabolism in Human Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells
Published on: July 20, 2016
A Pilot Study to Assess Adenosine 5'-triphosphate Metabolism in Red Blood Cells as a Drug Target for Potential
Pollen K F Yeung1, Jodi Tinkel, Dena Seeto
1College of Pharmacy and Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 4R2. Pollen.Yeung@Dal.Ca.
Objective:
To study the effect of exercise preconditioning on adenosine 5'triphosphate (ATP) metabolism in red blood cells and cardiovascular protection against injury induced by isoproterenol in vivo.
Methods:
Male Sprague Dawley rats (SDR) were each exercised on a treadmill for 15 minutes at 10 m/min and 10% grade (n = 7) (LowEx), or 14 m/min and 22% grade (n = 8) (VigEx). Two hours after the exercise, each rat received a single dose of isoproterenol (30 mg/kg) by subcutaneous (sc) injection. Two separate groups of SDR were used as control: One received no exercise (n = 10) (NoEx) and the other received no exercise and no isoproterenol (n = 11) (NoIso). Serial blood samples were collected over 5 hours for measurement of ATP and its catabolites by a validated HPLC. Hemodynamic recording was collected continuously for the duration of the experiment. Data were analysed using ANOVA and t-tests and difference considered significant at p < 0.05.
Results:
Exercise pre-conditioning (both LowEx and VigEx) reduced mortality after isoproterenol from 50% to < 30% (p > 0.05). It attenuated the rebound in blood pressure significantly (p < 0.05 between NoEx vs VigEx), attenuated the increase of RBC adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) concentrations induced by isoproterenol, and also decreased the breakdown of ATP to AMP in the RBC (p < 0.05 vs NoEx).
Conclusion:
Exercise pre-conditioning decreased the blood pressure rebound and also breakdown of ATP in RBC after isoproterenol which may be exploited further as a drug target for cardiovascular protection and prevention.
Related Concept Videos
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase
Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors
Major types that are helpful drug targets include:
Antiarrhythmic Drugs: Class III Agents as Potassium Channel Blockers
Antiplatelet Drugs: Prostaglandin Synthesis, P2Y12 and Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitors
Prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors, exemplified by the widely known aspirin, wield their power by irreversibly acetylating...
Antiarrhythmic Drugs: Class II Agents as β-Adrenergic Blockers
Pharmacogenomics: Identification of New Drug Targets

