M. Hashimoto et al., EFFECTS OF AGE ON THE RELEASE OF ADENINE NUCLEOSIDES AND NUCLEOTIDES FROM RAT CAUDAL ARTERY, Journal of physiology, 489(3), 1995, pp. 841-848
1. The spontaneous and a-adrenoceptor-induced release of ATP, ADP, AMP
and adenosine were determined from arterial segments and from isolate
d endothelial cells from caudal arteries of young (5-week-old), adult
(30-week-old) and old (100- to 110-week-old) Wistar rats. 2. The spont
aneous (non-evoked) release of the sum total of the four purines was s
ignificantly greater from artery segments of young rats than from adul
t and old rats. 3. The release of the adenine nucleotides and adenosin
e induced by methoxamine (10 mu M), an alpha(1)-adrenoceptor agonist,
was greater from artery segments from young rats than from old rats. 4
. The spontaneous release of the sum total of the four purines was sig
nificantly greater from endothelial cells prepared from caudal arterie
s of young rats than of old rats. 5. The noradrenaline (10 mu M)-induc
ed release of the sum total of the four purines was significantly grea
ter from endothelial cells prepared from caudal arteries of young rats
than of old rats. 6. The levels of adenine nucleotides and adenosine,
determined in plasma from anaesthetized rats, were significantly high
er in young rats compared with adult and old rats. 7. These findings s
uggest that the release of ATP from the vascular endothelial cells is
reduced with advancing age.