Involvement of adenosine in the antiinflammatory action of ketamine

Julia Mazar, Boris Rogachev, Gad Shaked, Nadav Y. Ziv, David Czeiger, Cidio Chaimovitz, Moshe Zlotnik, Igor Mukmenev, Gerardo Byk, Amos Douvdevani

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

73 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Ketamine is an anesthetic drug. Subanesthetic doses of ketamine have been shown to reduce interleukin-6 concentrations after surgery and to reduce mortality and the production of tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 6 in septic animals. Similarly, adenosine was shown to reduce tumor necrosis factor α and mortality of septic animals. The aim of this study was to determine whether adenosine mediates the antiinflammatory effects of ketamine. Methods: Sepsis was induced in mice by lipopolysaccharide or Escherichia coli inoculation. Leukocyte recruitment and cytokine concentrations were used as inflammation markers. Adenosine concentrations were assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography, and the involvement of adenosine in the effects of ketamine was demonstrated by adenosine receptor agonists and antagonists. Results: Ketamine markedly reduced mortality from sepsis, leukocyte recruitment, and tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 concentrations. Ketamine administration in mice and rats was associated with a surge at 20-35 min of adenosine in serum (up to 5 μM) and peritoneal fluid. The adenosine A2A receptor agonist CGS-21080 mimicked the effect of ketamine in peritonitis, whereas the A2A receptor antagonists DMPX and ZM 241385 blocked its antiinflammatory effects. In contrast, A1 and A3 receptor antagonists had no effect. ZM 241385 reversed the beneficial effect of ketamine on survival from bacterial sepsis. Conclusions: The current data suggest that the sepsis-protective antiinflammatory effects of ketamine are mediated by the release of adenosine acting through the A2A receptor.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1174-1181
Number of pages8
JournalAnesthesiology
Volume102
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2005

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