The Role of Adenosine in the Regulation of Coronary Blood Flow

THE coronary vasculature is influenced by physical (arterial pressure, extravascular compression, hematocrit), neural, and chemical factors, and although there is considerable interplay among these various factors, the predominant one is chemical. Furthermore, the chemical factors of greatest importance are those that take origin from the cardiac parenchyma! tissue and serve as a link between myocardial oxygen needs and supply. One of the principal contenders that can serve as a mediator of coronary blood flow (CBF) regulation in response to cardiac metabolic activity is the nucleoside, adenosine (Berne, 1963).