OPPOSITE EFFECTS OF CYCLOHEXYLADENOSINE AND THEOPHYLLINE ON HYPOXIC DAMAGE IN CULTURED NEURONS

To study the central effects of adenosine on hypoxia, the influence of treatment by the A, receptor agonist cyclohexyladenosine (1 mu M) or by the antagonist theophylline (10 mu M) was tested on cell damage in a model of neuronal culture. Whereas theophylline enhanced cell injury induced by 8 h hypoxia, cyclohexyladenosine decreased lactate dehydro genase leakage, abolished the transient increase in 2-D-deoxyglucose t ransport and improved cell morphology. Such actions might involve regu lation of excitatory amino acid release and maintenance of calcium hom eostasis.