Adenosine transport and metabolism

Adenosine transport and turnover refer to the integrated system of transporters and enzymes that regulate the concentration of adenosine in the extracellular and intracellular spaces. The primary components include equilibrative nucleoside transporters (ENT1, ENT2) and concentrative nucleoside transporters (CNTs), which move adenosine across membranes, as well as adenosine deaminase (ADA) and adenosine kinase (ADK), which metabolize it (Young et al., 2013; Boison, 2013). Adenosine serves as a vital signaling molecule, acting through four G protein-coupled receptors to modulate physiological processes such as vasodilation, neurotransmission, and immune suppression (Fredholm et al., 2011). In clinical practice, this system is targeted to treat various conditions; for instance, dipyridamole inhibits adenosine uptake to promote vasodilation in cardiovascular disease, while pentostatin inhibits ADA to treat certain types of leukemia (PubChem; StatPearls). Because this target entry describes a complex physiological process involving multiple distinct proteins rather than a single molecular entity, it is categorized as a functional group (Antonioli et al., 2013).

Other names

Adenosine transportAdenosine turnoverAdenosine homeostasisNucleoside transport and metabolism

Inhibition of equilibrative nucleoside transporters (ENTs) to increase extracellular adenosine concentrations, or inhibition of adenosine deaminase (ADA) to prevent the conversion of adenosine to inosine.