Evidence for the presence of A1 and A2 adenosine receptors in the ventral aorta of the dogfish shark, Squalus acanthias.

Isolated, endothelium-free rings of vascular smooth muscle (VSM) from the ventral aorta of the dogfish shark, Squalus acanthias, were used to examine the vasoactive effects of various adenosine agonists. Cumulative addition of 2-chloroadenosine (2 Cl-ADO) over the concentration range 10 nM-1 mM resulted in a biphasic response, with a significant increase in tension at 1 microM and a more significant decline in tension at 100 microM and 1 mM, suggesting that this tissue may possess both A1 and A2 adenosine receptors. N6-Cyclopentyladenosine (N-6 CPA) and N6-(2-phenylisopropyl)adenosine, R(-)isomer (R-PIA), generally considered to be more A1 specific, also produced slight, but significant increases in tension, but only at relatively high concentrations. The more specific A1 agonist, N6-(25)-[2-endo-norbonyl] adenosine [(S)-ENBA] produced a significant increase in tension at 1 pM, reaching 28% above control at 10 nM. The response to (S)-ENBA was also biphasic, with a fall in tension at 10 microM. The relatively non-specific agonist 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA) produced a small, but significant, increase in tension at 1 microM, with no subsequent decline in tension at higher concentrations. These results allow us to assign a tentative structure-activity relationship (SAR) for an increase in tension of (S)-ENBA much much greater than R-PIA greater than or equal to 2-Cl ADO = N-6 CPA = NECA; for the decrease, the SAR is (S)-ENBA greater than 2-Cl ADO greater than R-PIA greater than N-6 CPA = NECA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)