Adenosine coronary vasodilation during hypoxia depends on adrenergic receptor activation

The adenosine hypothesis of coronary control was investigated during steady-state hypoxia by making measurements of coronary venous and epicardial well adenosine concentrations in adrenergically intact dogs and animals with alpha - and beta-receptor blockade. The unexpected result was that a role for adenosine coronary vasodilation during hypoxia could only be found when adrenergic receptors were intact, but not during adrenergic blockade.