Possible Interaction: Adenosine and Sulfasalazine

“Finally, as we have shown previously, adenosine mediates the antiinflammatory effects of methotrexate and sulfasalazine in the murine air pouch model of inflammation, and injection of APCP, the ecto-5'-nucleotidase inhibitor, abrogates completely the increase in adenosine and the decrement in inflammation in this in vivo model.”

“We and others have shown that an increased extracellular concentration of adenosine mediates the antiinflammatory effects of methotrexate and sulfasalazine both in vitro and in vivo, but the mechanism by which these drugs increase extracellular adenosine remains unclear.”

“ Sulfasalazine increased the exudate adenosine concentration from 127 +/- 64 nM to 869 +/- 47 nM. Moreover, sulfasalazine treatment promoted a marked increase in splenocyte AICAR concentration from 35 +/- 6 to 96 +/- 3 pmols/10(6) splenocytes, which is consistent with the in vitro observation that sulfasalazine inhibits AICAR transformylase.”

“These results indicate that sulfasalazine , like methotrexate, enhances adenosine release at an inflamed site and that adenosine diminishes inflammation via occupancy of A2 receptors on inflammatory cells.”

“ Adenosine can suppress the release of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) from activated monocytes and macrophages, and may contribute to the anti-inflammatory activities of methotrexate and sulphasalazine.”

“Previously, we have shown that adenosine mediates the antiinflammatory effects of other potent and widely used antiinflammatory agents, methotrexate and sulfasalazine , both in vitro and in vivo.”