Identification of possible adenosine receptors in vascular smooth muscle

Adenosine is a vasodilator and has been implicated in increased blood flow in tissues that undergo energy deficiency. During conditions such as hypoxia and ischemia, adenosine is produced and is said to increase blood flow by relaxing the vascular smooth muscle (VSM) lining the resistance vessels. The goal of this research was to identify receptors that might be responsible for adenosine-mediated VSM relaxation. When an insoluble fraction from calf aortic VSM was incubated with 32P-ATP, two components were phosphorylated. One was identified as myosin light chain by MW, pl, and immunoprecipitation. The other product was identified as phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (DPI) by tic. Both phosphorylations were inhibited by adenosine and by 5'-chloro-5'-deoxyadenosine (Cl-Ado). DPI production was much more sensitive to the nucleosides than was myosin phosphorylation. Neither inhibition involved change in cAMP production. Phosphatidylinositol (Pl) kinase in the VSM membranes required magnesium, was activated and solubilized by Triton X-100, and phosphorylated both endogenous and exogenous Pl. Cl-Ado inhibited Pl kinase in a manner competitive with respect to ATP and noncompetitive with respect to Pl. Adenosine and adenosine analogs modified in the ribose ring were inhibitors with potencies comparable to that of Cl-Ado. Adenine nucleotides and purine-modified adenosine analogs were weaker inhibitors than Cl-Ado