RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Norepinephrine Evoked by Potassium Depolarization Increases Interstitial Adenosine Concentration via Activation of ecto-5′-Nucleotidase in Rat Hearts JF Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics JO J Pharmacol Exp Ther FD American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics SP 719 OP 724 DO 10.1124/jpet.102.039917 VO 305 IS 2 A1 Obata, Toshio A1 Yonemochi, Hidetoshi A1 Arita, Makoto YR 2003 UL http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/305/2/719.abstract AB We examined whether the increase of the extracellular potassium ion concentration, [K+]o, can increase the production of interstitial adenosine in the ventricular myocardium, with the use of microdialysis techniques in in situ rat hearts. A microdialysis probe was implanted in the left ventricular myocardium of anesthetized rat hearts, and the tissue in the vicinity of the dialysis was perfused with Tyrode's solution containing AMP through the dialysis probe at a rate of 1.0 μl/min to assess the activity of ecto-5′-nucleotidase. When the K+ concentration of the perfusate ([K+]o) was increased stepwise from 5.4 mM (control) to up to 140.4 mM, the level of dialysate adenosine significantly increased, in a [K+]o-dependent manner. The presence of CsCl or BaCl2 (20 mM), which markedly depolarized the resting potential, significantly increased the level of adenosine in the dialysate. Equivalent increases in the osmotic concentration of the perfusate, made by adding sucrose (270 mM), did not change the dialysate adenosine concentration. Introduction of high [K+]o (140.4 mM) significantly increased the level of norepinephrine (NE) in the dialysate, and this increase was abolished in the reserpinized rats hearts. In the presence of an antagonist of α1-adrenoceptor (prazosin, 50 μM) or protein kinase C (PKC) (chelerythrine, 10 μM) and in reserpinized rats, an introduction of high [K+]o failed to increase the AMP-primed dialysate adenosine concentration. We conclude that high [K+]o-induced NE release from sympathetic nerve terminals increases adenosine by stimulating the PKC-ecto-5′-nucleotidase cascade through α1-adrenoceptors. The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics