Inhibition of bovine retinal microvascular pericyte proliferation in vitro by adenosine.

Adenosine acts on bovine retinal microvascular pericytes through one or more adenosine receptor subtypes present on the cell surface. Retinal pericytes cultured in medium containing adenosine at concentrations from 10(-6) to 10(-4) M showed significant reduction in proliferation following several days in vitro compared with control cultures. The effects of adenosine were mimicked by polyadenylic acid and inhibited by 8-phenyltheophylline, indicating involvement of a cell surface receptor. Metabolites of adenosine had no effect on pericyte proliferation. An A2 adenosine receptor-specific analogue also inhibited pericyte growth, suggesting that inhibition by adenosine is mediated by A2-receptors and might involve a transient increase in adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate levels. The results of the present study demonstrate that in addition to demonstrated stimulatory effects on capillary endothelial cells, adenosine also has a direct inhibitory effect on retinal pericytes. We hypothesize a dual function of adenosine within the capillary wall resulting in loss of inhibition of endothelial cells and suggest a role for this nucleoside in pathological neovascularization processes such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy.