Activation of ecto-5'-nucleotidase in the blood and hearts of patients with chronic heart failure.
BACKGROUND
Because plasma levels of adenosine are increased in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), we examined adenosine concentrations in the plasma and heart and assessed the activity of ecto-5'-nucleotidase in the plasma and ventricular myocardium in patients with CHF.


RESULTS
We studied 36 patients with CHF (New York Heart Association Class I/II/III/IV, 9/8/12/7). Twenty-five subjects without CHF were used as controls. Both plasma adenosine levels and ecto-5'-nucleotidase activity were significantly higher in patients with CHF (219 +/- 28 nmol/L and 0.72 +/- 0.03 nmoL/mg protein/min, respectively) than in control subjects (71 +/- 8 nmol/L and 0.54 +/- 0.02 nmoL/mg protein/min, respectively). Plasma adenosine levels sampled from the coronary sinus were significantly higher than from the aorta in patients with CHF, but these differences were not observed in control subjects. Ecto-5'-nucleotidase protein levels were markedly increased in the ventricular myocardium in patients with CHF.


CONCLUSIONS
These increases in ecto-5'-nucleotidase in the plasma and myocardium may contribute to increased plasma and cardiac adenosine levels. The increased ecto-5'-nucleotidase activity and adenosine levels in blood may become an index of the presence or severity of CHF.
Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan.
Masashi
M
Fujita
Masanori
M
Asakura
Shoji
S
Sanada
Hiroharu
H
Funaya
Osamu
O
Tsukamoto
Kazuo
K
Komamura
Hiroshi
H
Asanuma
Satoshi
S
Taketani
Tadashi
T
Isomura
Kenji
K
Nakamaru
Hidehiko
H
Furukawa
Yoshiki
Y
Sawa
Masatsugu
M
Hori
Masafumi
M
Kitakaze
D015720:5'-Nucleotidase / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D000241:Adenosine / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013318:Stroke Volume
D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D015720:5'-Nucleotidase; D000241:Adenosine