Abstract: Objective To investigate the effects of adenosine on the expression of adenosine A2b receptor and serum nitric oxide(NO)concentration in femoral artery stenosis. Methods The femoral artery stenosis model were induced in 20 of 40 Wistar rats, which were randomly divided into model saline group(A), model adenosine group(B).The stenosis model was made by femoral artery ligation except for the control group(control saline group(C)and control adenosine group(D).The rats in the control groups were treated with woring line under the femoral artery without ligation.All of them were injected with saline or adenosine in the tail vein. The expression level of adenosine A2b receptor in quadriceps femoris was detected with immunohistochemistry and the concentration of NO in serum was measured with nitrate reductase method. Results Immunohistochemistry: The positive rate of adenosine A2b receptor in group B was far lower than that in group D, the results of group D was higher than that in group A and C(P<0.05). Nitrate reductase results showed: The serum NO concentration in group B was lower than that in group D(P<0.01), and the group D was higher than group A and group C. Conclusion Adenosine can significantly reduce A2b receptor expression and NO concentration in the distal end of femoral artery stenosis.

Key words: adenosine A2b receptor, femoral artery, nitric oxide