title: Brain Injury Alters Ectonucleotidase Activities and Adenine Nucleotide Levels in Rat Serum.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cortical stab injury (CSI) induces changes in the activity, expression and cellular distribution of specific ectonucleotidases at the injury site. Also, several experimentally induced neuropathologies are associated with changes in soluble ectonucleotidase activities in the plasma and serum, whilst various insults to the brain alter purine compounds levels in cerebrospinal fluid, but also in serum, indicating that insults to the brain may induce alterations in nucleotides release and rate of their hydrolysis in the vascular system. Since adenine nucleotides and adenosine regulate diverse cellular functions in the vascular system, including vascular tone, platelet aggregation and inflammatory responses of lymphocytes and macrophages, alterations of ectonucleotidase activities in the vascular system may be relevant for the clinical outcome of the primary insult.
  
  
  METHODS
  We explored ectonucleotidase activities using specific enzyme assays and determined adenine nucleotides concentrations by the UPLC method in the rat serum after cortical stab injury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 4-h post-injury, ATP and AMP hydrolysis increased by about 60% and 40%, respectively, while phosphodiesterase activity remained unchanged. Also, at 4-h post-injury a marked decrease in ATP concentration and more than 2-fold increase in AMP concentration were recorded.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CSI induces rapid up-regulation of nucleotide catabolizing soluble ectonucleotidases in rat serum, which leads to the observed shift in serum nucleotide levels. The results obtained imply that ectonucleotidases and adenine nucleotides participate in the communication between the brain and the vascular system in physiological and pathological conditions and thereby may be involved in the development of various human neuropathologies.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Danijela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Laketa
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Jasmina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Savić
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Institute for Biological Research »Siniša Stanković«, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bjelobaba
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Institute for Biological Research »Siniša Stanković«, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lavrnja
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vasić
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Institute for Biological Research »Siniša Stanković«, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Mirjana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stojiljković
authors.affiliation: Department of General Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Nadežda
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nedeljković
keywords: ATP; brain injury; ectonucleotidases; extracellular adenine nucleotides; rat serum