Mediation by adenosine of the trophic effects exerted by the sympathetic innervation of blood vessels.

Chemical or surgical sympathetic denervation of blood vessels causes marked changes of the effector cells. Since postganglionic sympathetic cotransmission by noradrenaline and adenosine 5'-triphosphate is well established, the role of these transmitters as putative trophic factors was investigated. Whereas noradrenaline was ineffective in preventing morphological changes due to denervation, both adenosine and N-ethylcarboxamido-adenosine totally prevented them. In conscious rats, the adenosine receptor antagonist dipropylsulphophenylxantine (DPSPX) caused alterations of the blood vessel wall similar to those described for denervation. These results strongly suggest that adenosine is the trophic factor of sympathetic innervation.