title: 6-Mercaptopurine attenuates adhesive molecules in experimental vasospasm.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Adhesion molecules, including intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and E-selectin, are important inflammatory mediators which are elevated in the serum of patients following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The authors previously found that 6-mercaptopurine (6-mp) was effective in preventing and reversing arterial narrowing in a rodent SAH model. The present study was to examine whether levels of adhesion molecules were altered after treatment with 6-mp in this animal model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Animals were each injected with autologous blood into the cisterna magna, and intraperitoneal treatment with 6-mp (2 mg/kg) was initiated 1 h before (prevention) or later (treatment). The compound was subsequently administered at 24 and 48 h post-SAH. Blood samples were collected at 72 h post-SAH to measure ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and E-selectin levels. The basilar arteries were harvested and sliced, and their cross-sectional areas were measured. Morphologically, convolution of the internal elastic lamina, distorted endothelial wall, and myonecrosis of the smooth muscle were prominently observed in the SAH only and vehicle-treated SAH groups, but not in the 6-mp-treated SAH group or in healthy controls. No significant differences were found in the levels of VCAM-1 among all groups. However, the levels of E-selectin were increased in all animals subjected to SAH (SAH only and SAH plus vehicle groups) compared with healthy controls (no SAH), but not in the 6-mp group (SAH plus 6-mp treatment and preventive treatment with 6-mp).Likewise, the levels of ICAM-1 in the SAH only and SAH plus vehicle groups were significantly elevated (p < 0.001), and pretreatment and treatment with 6-mp reduced ICAM-1 to control levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show that ICAM-1 and E-selectin may play a role in mediating SAH-induced vasospasm and that a reduction of both adhesive molecules after SAH may partly contribute to the antispastic effect of 6-mp.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China. chzech@kmu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Chih-Zen
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Chih-Lung
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Neal F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Kassel
authors.forename: Aij-Lie
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Kwan
authors.forename: Shen-Long
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Howng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000963:Antimetabolites / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D015122:Mercaptopurine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D020301:Vasospasm, Intracranial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000963:Antimetabolites; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D019040:E-Selectin; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D015122:Mercaptopurine