Abstract

Adenosine (Ado) is released in response to tissue injury, promotes hyperemia, and modulates inflammation. The proinflammatory effects of Ado, which are mediated by the A_2B Ado receptor (AdoR), may exacerbate tissue damage. We hypothesized that selective blockade of the A_2B AdoR with 3-ethyl-1-propyl-8-(1-(3-trifluoromethylbenzyl)-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-3,7-dihydropurine-2,6-dione (GS-6201) during acute myocardial infarction (AMI) would reduce adverse cardiac remodeling. Male ICR mice underwent coronary artery ligation or sham surgery (n = 10–12 per group). The selective A_2B AdoR antagonist GS-6201 (4 mg/kg) was given intraperitoneally twice daily starting immediately after surgery and continuing for 14 days. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed before surgery and after 7, 14, and 28 days. A subgroup of mice was killed 72 h after surgery, and the activity of caspase-1, a key proinflammatory mediator, was measured in the cardiac tissue. All sham-operated mice were alive at 4 weeks, whereas 50% of vehicle-treated mice and 75% of GS-6201-treated mice were alive at 4 weeks after surgery. Compared with vehicle, treatment with GS-6201 prevented caspase-1 activation in the heart at 72 h after AMI (P < 0.001) and significantly limited the increase in left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic diameter by 40% (P < 0.001), the decrease in LV ejection fraction by 18% (P < 0.01) and the changes in the myocardial performance index by 88% (P < 0.001) at 28 days after AMI. Selective blockade of A_2B AdoR with GS-6201 reduces caspase-1 activity in the heart and leads to a more favorable cardiac remodeling after AMI in the mouse.