Rola ektopuryn w procesie od zapalenia do demielinizacji – perspektywy powstania nowych metod leczenia stwardnienia rozsianego

Nucleotides released from activated and/or injured cells activate P2 receptors. Extracellular nucleotides serve as danger signals or damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) that trigger various immune responses. Indeed, P2 receptors are highly expressed in the astrocytes, microglia and other immune cells such as T and B lymphocytes that migrate to the central nervous system. The activation of P2 receptors triggers the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines as well as immune cell migration and proliferation that contribute to demyelination and axonal damage. The activation of P2 receptors is controlled by the ectonucleotidases which hydrolyze extracellular nucleotides. Ecto-NTPDases and ecto-5′-nucleotidase are expressed in the astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, endothelial cells and activated T cells. The hydrolysis of extracellular ATP and ADP by enzymes results in the generation of extracellular adenosine. This nucleoside interacts with P1 receptors and activates anti-inflammatory and immuno-suppressive responses in the cells involved in MS.Autorzy przedstawili rolę sygnalizacji purynergicznej w indukcji procesów zapalnych w ośrodkowym układzie nerwowym (OUN) prowadzących do powstania stwardnienia rozsianego. Biorą w nich udział nukleotydy uwalniane z aktywowanych bądź uszkodzonych komórek. Pozakomórkowe nukleotydy rozpoznawane są w OUN jako ostrzegawcze sygnały i poprzez aktywację receptorów P2 (jonotropowe P2X i metabotropowe P2Y) aktywują procesy zapalne. Receptory P2 są obecne na komórkach OUN (komórki astrogleju i mikrogleju) oraz na komórkach układu immunologicznego, tj. limfocytach T i B, migrujących do OUN. Aktywacja obecnych na tych komórkach receptorów P2 aktywuje egzocytozę prozapalnych cytokin i chemokin oraz migrację i proliferację komórek immunologicznych, co prowadzi do demielinizacji i uszkodzenia aksonów. Aktywacja receptorów P2 jest kontrolowana przez enzymy – ektonukleotydazy, hydrolizujące pozakomórkowe nukleotydy, które są obecne na astrocytach, oligodendrocytach, komórkach mikrogleju oraz komórkach śródbłonka i limfocytach T. Hydroliza pozakomórkowego ATP i ADP przez NTPD-azy i ekto-5′-nukleotydazę powoduje powstanie ektoadenozyny, która poprzez pobudzenie receptorów P1 indukuje procesy hamujące zapalenie i immunosupresję

Some aspects of purinergic signaling in the ventricular system of porcine brain

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Numerous signaling pathways function in the brain ventricular system, including the most important - GABAergic, glutaminergic and dopaminergic signaling. Purinergic signalization system - comprising nucleotide receptors, nucleotidases, ATP and adenosine and their degradation products - are also present in the brain. However, the precise role of nucleotide signalling pathway in the ventricular system has been not elucidated so far. The aim of our research was the identification of all three elements of purinergic signaling pathway in the porcine brain ventricular system.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Besides nucleotide receptors on the ependymocytes surface, we studied purines and pyrimidines in the CSF, including mechanisms of nucleotide signaling in the swine model (<it>Sus scrofa domestica</it>). The results indicate presence of G proteins coupled P2Y receptors on ependymocytes and also P2X receptors engaged in fast signal transmission. Additionally we found in CSF nucleotides and adenosine in the concentration sufficient to P receptors activation. These extracellular nucleotides are metabolised by adenylate kinase and nucleotidases from at least two families: NTPDases and NPPases. A low activity of these nucleotide metabolising enzymes maintains nucleotides concentration in ventricular system in micromolar range. ATP is degraded into adenosine and inosine.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results confirm the thesis about cross-talking between brain and ventricular system functioning in physiological as well as pathological conditions. The close interaction of brain and ventricular system may elicit changes in qualitative and quantitative composition of purines and pyrimidines in CSF. These changes can be dependent on the physiological state of brain, including pathological processes in CNS.</p

Adenosine A2A receptors in Parkinson’s disease treatment

Latest results on the action of adenosine A2A receptor antagonists indicate their potential therapeutic usefulness in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Basal ganglia possess high levels of adenosine A2A receptors, mainly on the external surfaces of neurons located at the indirect tracts between the striatum, globus pallidus, and substantia nigra. Experiments with animal models of Parkinson’s disease indicate that adenosine A2A receptors are strongly involved in the regulation of the central nervous system. Co-localization of adenosine A2A and dopaminergic D2 receptors in striatum creates a milieu for antagonistic interaction between adenosine and dopamine. The experimental data prove that the best improvement of mobility in patients with Parkinson’s disease could be achieved with simultaneous activation of dopaminergic D2 receptors and inhibition of adenosine A2A receptors. In animal models of Parkinson’s disease, the use of selective antagonists of adenosine A2A receptors, such as istradefylline, led to the reversibility of movement dysfunction. These compounds might improve mobility during both monotherapy and co-administration with L-DOPA and dopamine receptor agonists. The use of adenosine A2A receptor antagonists in combination therapy enables the reduction of the L-DOPA doses, as well as a reduction of side effects. In combination therapy, the adenosine A2A receptor antagonists might be used in both moderate and advanced stages of Parkinson’s disease. The long-lasting administration of adenosine A2A receptor antagonists does not decrease the patient response and does not cause side effects typical of L-DOPA therapy. It was demonstrated in various animal models that inhibition of adenosine A2A receptors not only decreases the movement disturbance, but also reveals a neuroprotective activity, which might impede or stop the progression of the disease. Recently, clinical trials were completed on the use of istradefylline (KW-6002), an inhibitor of adenosine A2A receptors, as an anti-Parkinson drug

Can nucleoside and nucleotide precursors become future successful anti-epileptic drugs?

Many examples of experimental epilepsy show that epileptic seizures occur due to release of stimulatory neurotransmitters into intracellular spaces. In CNS adenosine suppresses exocytosis of glutamate and asparginate but guanosine increases the reverse uptake of glutamate by astrocytes and thus lowers it concentration outside the cell. In this process both nucleosides participate in suppressing the epileptic seizures. By decreasing concentration of ectoadenosine and ectoguanosine outside the cell, that compounds can protect neurons from cellular degeneration. It was shown in many animal models for experimental epilepsy that adenosine A1 and A2A receptors were involved in the process of stopping the seizures. Moreover, some of the conventional anti-epileptic drugs reveal enhance their therapeutic abilities by interactions with the adenosine receptors, being either agonists or antagonists. These interactions modulate the activity of receptors and consequently regulate the neuroprotection processes. Some agonists of adenosine receptors increase the epileptic episodes reaction to those compounds. Anti-episode action of adenosine and guanosine as well as agonists and antagonists of nucleoside receptors indicate the possibility of applying the knowledge about these processes towards production of new anti-epileptic medication. Successful anti-epileptic medication may be based on compounds that have the ability to increase the concentration of ectoadenosine i.e; adenosine deaminase inhibitors, adenosine kinase inhibitors or compounds with ability to suppress reverse uptake of nucleosides. Another method to increase the concentration of extracellular adenosine is to increase the activity of 5’-nucleotidase. That in effect will increase the amount of ectoadenosine by degradation of ectoAMP. There are very promising results revealed that oral administration of guanosine and GMP as well as guanosine by itself given intraperitoneally and intraventricularly what halted epileptic seizures caused by quinolinic acid which is a glutamate agonist.Napady drgawkowe są wynikiem uwalniania neurotransmiterów pobudzających do przestrzeni pozakomórkowej. W ośrodkowym układzie nerwowym ektoadenozyna hamuje egzocytozę glutaminianu i asparaginianu, natomiast ektoguanozyna, zwiększając wychwyt zwrotny glutaminianu przez astrocyty, obniża jego stężenie poza komórką. W ten sposób oba nukleozydy uczestniczą w hamowaniu napadu drgawkowego. Nukleozydy te, obniżając stężenie powyższych neurotransmiterów poza komórką, chronią neurony przed śmiercią, pełnią więc funkcję neuroprotekcyjną. W różnych modelach zwierzęcych padaczek eksperymentalnych wykazano, że w przerwaniu napadu drgawkowego uczestniczą receptory adenozynowe A1 i A2A. Ma miejsce współdziałanie leków przeciwpadaczkowych i receptorów adenozynowych, bowiem niektóre z nich, takie jak karbamazepina, działają za pośrednictwem receptorów adenozynowych A1, a niektórzy agoniści receptorów A1 potęgują działanie przeciwdrgawkowe tych leków. Przeciwdrgawkowe działanie adenozyny i guanozyny oraz agonistów i antagonistów receptorów nukleozydowych wskazuje na możliwość wykorzystania wiedzy o tych procesach w projektowaniu nowych leków przeciwpadaczkowych. Skutecznymi lekami przeciwdrgawkowymi mogą okazać się związki zwiększające stężenie ektoadenozyny, takie jak: inhibitory deaminazy adenozyny, kinazy adenozynowej oraz związki hamujące wychwyt zwrotny nukleozydów. Innym sposobem zwiększenia stężenia pozakomórkowej adenozyny jest wzrost aktywności 5’-nukleotydazy powiększającej pulę ektoadenozyny przez degradację ektoAMP. Obiecujące są również rezultaty doustnego podania guanozyny i GMP, a także samej guanozyny podanej dokomorowo i dootrzewnowo, które powodowało przerywanie drgawek wywoływanych przez agonistę glutaminianu – kwas chinolinowy