Dissociation of Adenosine Levels from Bioenergetic State in Experimental Brain Trauma: Potential Role in Secondary Injury

Intracellular bioenergetic state and extracellular adenosine levels were monitored in rat brain prior to and following traumatic brain injury (TBI) using phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy and microdialysis, respectively. Fluid percussion-induced TBI (2.6 ± 0.2 atm) resulted in significant reductions in free cytosolic [Mg 2+ ], cytosolic [ATP]/[ADP][P i ], and Δ G ATP and elevations in cytosolic [ADP] and [5'-AMP]. Intracellular ATP concentration and pH did not change significantly after trauma. Mitochondrial capacity for oxidative phosphorylation (indexed by V/V max ) increased significantly from ∼0.45 prior to injury to ∼0.58 following TBI. All metabolic changes were maximal at 2–3 h post-TBI. Conversely, extracellular adenosine concentrations increased transiently following TBI, with levels peaking at 10 min posttrauma, then declining rapidly to preinjury values by 50 min. Thus, despite pronounced long-term depression in bioenergetic status and a marked rise in [5'-AMP], formation and release of adenosine were elevated only transiently within the first hour following TBI. Since steady-state adenosine levels were essentially unchanged beyond 1 h posttrauma, mooted neuroprotective actions of endogenous adenosine would be minimized. Intracerebro-ventricular injections of 2-chloroadenosine (0.5 and 2.5 nmol) immediately prior to TBI dose-dependently attenuated metabolic disturbances and improved posttraumatic neurologic outcome (p < 0.05). The observations indicate that (a) TBI results in dissociation of adenosine release from intracellular bioenergetic state, a phenomenon possibly contributing to secondary injury following TBI; and (b) supplementing brain with an adenosine agonist attenuates irreversible injury.