Adenosine acts as an inhibitor of lymphoma cell growth: a major role for the A3 adenosine receptor

In this study, we demonstrated several mechanisms exploring the inhibitory effect of low-dose adenosine on lymphoma cell growth. Adenosine, a purine n ucleoside present in plasma and other extracellular fluids, acts as a regul atory molecule, by binding to G-protein associated cell-surface receptors, A1, A2 and A3. Recently we showed that low-dose adenosine released by muscl e cells, inhibits tumour cell growth and thus attributes to the rarity of m uscle metastases. In the present work, a cytostatic effect of adenosine on the proliferation of the Nb2-11C rat lymphoma cell line was demonstrated. T his effect was mediated through the induction of cell cycle arrest in the G 0/G1 phase and by decreasing the telomeric signal in these cells. Adenosine was found to exert its antiproliferative effect mainly through binding to its A3 receptor. The cytostatic anticancer activity, mediated through the A 3 adenosine receptor, turns it into a potential target for the development of anticancer therapies. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved .