Dual cardiac microdialysis to assess drug-induced changes in interstitial purine metabolites: adenosine deaminase inhibition versus adenosine kinase inhibition

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was: 1) to evaluate a dual microdialysis technique coupled with local drug administration in the regionally ischemic rabbit heart, and; 2) to assess the ischemia-induced changes in interstitial fluid (ISF) adenosine during inhibition of adenosine deaminase or adenosine kinase. METHODS: Two microdialysis probes were implanted parallel to each other and separated by 5 mm in myocardium perfused by a branch of the left coronary artery. Probes were used to sample myocardial ISF and to deliver drugs locally to the myocardium; purine metabolite concentrations in the collected dialysate were used as indices of ISF levels. Three groups of pentobarbital-anesthetized rabbits were studied. In a control group (n = 6), both probes were perfused with Krebs-Henseleit buffer. In the second and third groups, one probe was perfused with buffer, whereas the other probe was perfused with buffer containing 1 mM erythro-2-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine (EHNA) (n = 5), an adenosine deaminase inhibitor, or 10 microM iodotubercidin (n = 9), an adenosine kinase inhibitor. All animals were exposed to 30 min of regional myocardial ischemia followed by 60 min of reperfusion. RESULTS: In the control group, similar increases in dialysate purine metabolites during ischemia were observed in both probes. Locally administered EHNA increased dialysate adenosine prior to ischemia and decreased dialysate inosine and hypoxanthine. During ischemia, the increase in dialysate adenosine in the EHNA-perfused probe was markedly augmented, while the increases in inosine and hypoxanthine were attenuated. In contrast, local infusion of iodotubercidin did not alter dialysate purine metabolites before ischemia, but there was a modest augmentation of adenosine during ischemia. These data illustrate the feasibility of dual microdialysis for assessing the effect of locally administered compounds on interstitial metabolite concentration in the regionally ischemic rabbit heart. Furthermore, adenosine deaminase inhibition has a more profound adenosine augmenting effect than adenosine kinase inhibition in the rabbit heart.