“…Endogenous adenosine may play a role in the conversion of the normally proabsorptive gut to its observed prosecretory status during short-term ischemic stress. During both chemical and true hypoxia, adenosine has been shown to accumulate in the extracellular space and to exert local regulatory effects in several non-intestinal tissues and cell types, including kidney and isolated renal tubules, hepatocytes, cardiac muscle, brain, and erythrocytes (12,16,17,30,33,34,43,44,50 (38). Epithelial Cl-secretion is thought to represent a primitive defense mechanism whereby mucosal surfaces can be "flushed" in response to potentially injurious stimuli (39,49).…”