Effects of dipyridamole on myocardial adenosine and active hyperemia

Dipyridamole, a vasodilator that potentiates the actions of exogenous adenosine, is known to inhibit cellular uptake of adenosine, but its effects on cellular adenosine release, and thus interstitial adenosine levels, are disputed. We used the accumulation of adenosine in pericardial infusates (PCI) as an index of interstitial adenosine concentration and observed the effects of dipyridamole on relationships among coronary blood flow (CBF), myocardial oxygen consumption (MV̇ o₂), and PCI adenosine concentrations during steady-state alterations of cardiac work. Dipyridamole increased CBF and PCI adenosine concentration without altering MV̇o₂. The relationship between PCI adenosine and CBF was unaltered, supporting a cause and effect relationship between interstitial adenosine concentration and CBF. In addition, we determined that unlike previous studies in isolated perfused hearts the washout of adenosine by coronary plasma was unaffected by dipyridamole. The results support previous suggestions that, whereas dipyridamole inhibits adenosine uptake, it does not alter cellular adenosine release, and therefore interstitial adenosine levels are increased. The constant relationship between PCI adenosine and CBF supports hypotheses that attribute the hyperemias associated with increased cardiac work or with dipyridamole to increased interstitial adenosine.