Equilibrative nucleoside transporter (ENT)-1-dependent elevation of extracellular adenosine protects the liver during ischemia and reperfusion.

ABSTRACT:

Unlabelled

Ischemia and reperfusion-elicited tissue injury contributes to morbidity and mortality of hepatic surgery and during liver transplantation. Previous studies implicated extracellular adenosine signaling in liver protection. Based on the notion that extracellular adenosine signaling is terminated by uptake from the extracellular towards the intracellular compartment by way of equilibrative nucleoside transporters (ENTs), we hypothesized a functional role of ENTs in liver protection from ischemia. During orthotopic liver transplantation in humans, we observed higher expressional levels of ENT1 than ENT2, in conjunction with repression of ENT1 and ENT2 transcript and protein levels following warm ischemia and reperfusion. Treatment with the pharmacologic ENT inhibitor dipyri

SUBMITTER: Zimmerman MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3795856 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature