Adenosine in the control of the cerebral circulation

Adenosine has been proposed as a metabolic factor involved in the regulation of cerebral blood flow. The evidence in support of this hypothesis, presented in this review, includes information on the adenosine receptors associated with cerebral blood vessels, the synthesis and metabolism of adenosine, and the release of adenosine from the brain. Adenosine dilates cerebral blood vessels, acting at an A2 receptor. The critical evidence implicating an involvement of adenosine in cerebrovascular regulation is derived from experiments with adenosine antagonists and potentiators. The antagonists include methylxanthine adenosine receptor antagonists and the enzyme adenosine deaminase. Potentiators include transport inhibitors, enzyme inhibitors, and adenosine precursors. Adenosine has been implicated in vascular regulation during hypoxia/ischemia, hypercapnia, seizures, severe hypotension, and hypoglycemia. Adenosine possesses a number of properties that can be used to minimize neuronal degeneration during cerebral insults, such as ischemia, including vasodilatation, reduction of excitatory transmitter release, reduction of membrane calcium permeability, inhibition of platelets, and neutrophil aggregation. Several recent studies have demonstrated that manipulation of central adenosine tone can alter the extent of cerebral ischemic damage, indicating a potential new therapeutic approach for the treatment of stroke.