title: Purine metabolism in cultured coronary endothelial cells.
abstract: Endothelial cells from coronary vessels of guinea pig hearts were isolated, cultivated and morphologically characterized. --Cells from confluent cultures contained adenine nucleotides and their dephosphorylated degradatives in exceptionally high amounts. --Adenine nucleotide levels were only slightly influenced by the growth state of the cultures and remained stable during incubation for three days in purine-free medium. In contrast, brief incubation of endothelial cells under anoxic conditions resulted in a substantial breakdown of adenine nucleotides associated with an enhanced formation and release of adenosine. --Measurements of specific activities of enzymes involved in adenine nucleotide synthesis and degradation lend additional support to the view that a very active adenine nucleotide metabolism is a typical feature of cultured coronary endothelial cells.
mesh_terms: D000227:Adenine Nucleotides / Q000032:analysis; D000241:Adenosine / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000378:metabolism*; D004727:Endothelium / Q000378:metabolism; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D011687:Purines / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000227:Adenine Nucleotides; D011687:Purines; D000241:Adenosine