No effect of aluminium upon the hydrolysis of ATP in the coronary circulation of the isolated working rat heart.

Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) is now recognised as an important extracellular signalling molecule. Its action at a number of specific receptors is mediated by the activity of ectonucleotidases. We have optimised a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method to allow the simultaneous determination of ATP, and the products of its hydrolysis, in the coronary effluent of an isolated working rat heart. The method is extremely sensitive allowing picomolar quantities of product to be determined. We have used this method to investigate the influence of aluminium on the hydrolysis of ATP by an ecto-ATPase located in the luminal surface of the coronary endothelium of the rat heart. Aluminium did not influence the hydrolysis of ATP by this enzyme.