IntroductionPrevious studies have implicated extracellular nucleotide metabolites, predominantly adenosine, as triggers of endogenous protective mechanisms in a number of acute injury models. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Extracellular adenosine is derived primarily through phosphohydrolysis of adenosine 5Ј-monophosphate (AMP). Ecto-5Ј-nucleotidase (CD73), a ubiquitously expressed ectoenzyme, is the pacemaker of this reaction. 8 Studies on the role of CD73 in tissue-injury showed that cd73 Ϫ/Ϫ mice develop profound vascular leakage and pulmonary edema upon hypoxia exposure. 8 Once generated into the extracellular space, adenosine can signal through any of 4 G-protein coupled adenosine-receptors (ARs: A1AR/A2AAR/A2BAR/A3AR). All of these receptors are expressed on vascular endothelia 9 and have been implicated in tissue-protection in different models of injury. [1][2][3]7,[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] Changes in vascular barrier function closely coincide with tissue injury of many etiologies, and result in fluid loss, edema, and organ dysfunction. [19][20][21] The predominant barrier (ϳ90%) to movement of macromolecules across a blood vessel wall is presented by the vascular endothelium. 20,22 Under physiologic conditions, macromolecules such as albumin (molecular weight ϳ70 kD) can cross the endothelial monolayer via a paracellular route (eg, by passing between adjacent endothelia) with some contribution of transcellular passage. 23,24 Endothelial barrier function correlates inversely with the size of molecules that can gain entry into tissues and differs between tissues of different origins. Endothelial permeability is highly regulated and may increase markedly upon exposure to inflammatory stimuli (eg, lipopolysaccharide, bacteria, bacterial compounds, prostaglandins, reactive oxygen species, leukotrienes) or adverse conditions such as ischemia or hypoxia. 18,20,[25][26][27][28][29] Given that activation of ARs can lead to an elevation of intracellular cAMP, and that elevated cAMP in endothelia promotes barrier function, 20,30 we considered the possibility of endothelial AR-signaling to regulate vascular permeability. In contrast to previous studies that found tissue protection during hypoxia or inflammation through signaling pathways involving the A2AAR, 1,3,7,31,32 the present studies conclude that the A2BAR is central to the control of vascular leak in hypoxia.
Methods
Cell cultureHuman microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC)-1 were cultured as described previously. 9,18 For preparation of experimental HMEC-1 monolayers, confluent endothelial cells were seeded at approximately less than 10 5 cells/cm 2 onto either permeable polycarbonate inserts or 100-mm Petri dishes. Endothelial cell purity was assessed by phase microscopic "cobblestone" appearance and uptake of fluorescent acetylated low-density lipoprotein.
Stable repression of AR expression by siRNAWith the help of the siRNA Wizard (www.sirnawizard.com; InvivoGen, San Diego, CA) the following primer sequences were chosen within the coding region of the g...