Contribution of the extracellular cAMP-adenosine on the contraction of vascular and non-vascular smooth muscle

• Grant number: 15/06627-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2015
• End date: December 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Biochemical and Molecular Pharmacology
• Principal Investigator: Rosely Oliveira Godinho
• Grantee: Raíssa de Paula Moro
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is an intracellular second messenger involved in the regulation of many physiologic processes, including muscular contraction. The activation of beta-adrenoceptors coupled to stimulatory G protein leads to the stimulation of the enzyme adenylyl cyclase, which in turn increases intracellular cAMP concentration. This increment results in both the potentiation of cardiac and skeletal muscle contraction and bronchial or vascular smooth muscle relaxation. Although the end of its action is regulated by cAMP degradation to 5'-AMP by phosphodiesterases, studies conducted in our lab have shown that increments in cAMP production are transitory and followed by its efflux. Once outside the cell, cAMP exerts its effects via its metabolite adenosine, generated by sequential action of ecto-phosphodiesterases and ecto-nucleotidases. Few studies focused on evaluating the role of cAMP signaling in the contraction of vascular or nonvascular smooth muscles. Therefore, our aim is to investigate the importance of the extracellular cAMP-adenosine pathway in the regulation of vascular and nonvascular smooth muscle contraction.