Effects of Adenine Nucleotides on the Contractility and Membrane Potentials of Rat Atrium

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Abstract
Adenine nucleotides and nucleosides depress the contractility of the rat atrium as has been shown previously for cardiac tissue of other species. It was found that this depression was accompanied by a marked shortening of the action potential, clue to a more rapid rate of repolarization, without marked effects on other atrial characteristics. The evidence points to the site of action as the cell membrane rather than the intracellular contractile systems. The purine-riboside moiety is the basic unit required for activity and combination of this group with sites in the membrane apparently leads to an increased permeability to potassium following depolarization.