Adenine vs adenosine, What are the differences between them?

Before discussing the topic of “adenine vs adenosine”, we will introduce what adenine and adenosine are respectively. Adenine is one of the four nuclear bases that make up DNA and RNA molecules. It mainly exists in the form of adenine nucleotides in the body, which take part in the formation of many significant intermediate substances such as ATP and NADP in the body's metabolic pathways. 

Adenine also can be involved in the synthesis of DNA and RNA in the body, providing essential components for maintaining the metabolic function of the organism. Its function is to facilitate the proliferation of white blood cells when they are absent. Adenine used to be called vitamin B.

In the earlier paper, vitamin B4 was classified as a B vitamin group. B vitamins are essential nutrients for all human tissues and are vital to release energy from food. Because they are all coenzymes, which involve the metabolism of sugar, protein, and fat in the body, they are listed as a group. At present, many domestic pharmaceutical factories produce adenine tablets under the name of vitamin B4.

Adenosine is an endogenous nucleoside all over human cells, which can directly enter the myocardium to produce adenosine by phosphorylated. This drug takes part in myocardial energy metabolism, as well as expands coronary blood vessels, and increases blood flow. Adenosine has physiological effects on the cardiovascular system and many other systems and tissues in the body.

Adenine vs adenosine: Different chemical composition

1. Adenine, also known as vitamin B4 in clinical practice, is a component of nucleic acids and coenzymes. It is an indispensable component to keep the metabolic function of organisms, mainly in the form of adenine nucleotides.

2. Adenosine is an energy metabolic synthetic substance in the body. It can be formed mainly by adenine N-9 and D-ribose C-1 through the β-glucoside bond. Besides, adenosine can also be used for the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate, adenine, and an important intermediate of adenosine.

Adenine vs adenosine: Different function

1. Adenine can promote leukocyte proliferation in the body in medical applications and increase the number of white blood cells. In addition, it also helps regulate the heart rate, relieves fatigue, and strengthens the body's immune function. It can be used for tumor radiation therapy and tumor chemotherapy.

2. Adenosine is mainly used as an antiarrhythmic drug. It can make paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia into sinus heart rate after the drug, then it can play a therapeutic effect for angina pectoris myocardial infarction and other diseases. More importantly, it even can be applied to treat essential hypertension and cerebrovascular disorders.

Adenosine and adenine have different therapeutic effects on diseases and need to be applied under the guidance of a doctor. It can not be used at will, to avoid adverse effects on the body and delay the disease.

Adenine vs adenosine: Side effects

The main component of adenine is vitamin B4, which is used in clinical prevention and treatment of leukopenia, and the drug effect is relatively safe. But allergic people who use adenine may have allergic reactions, such as skin flushing, itching, red rash, etc. The symptoms will disappear after stopping the drug, if it does not disappear, it is recommended to seek medical attention.

Side effects of adenosine are common, such as chest pain, flushing, and shortness of breath, which are transient usually. Due to the short action time of adenosine, it has little effect on hemodynamics and rarely causes hypotension. Theophylline in therapeutic concentrations blocks receptors that adenosine relies on for its electrophysiological and hemodynamic effects. Dipyridamole (pyridamole) blocks the uptake of adenosine, thereby enhancing its effect. In patients who are taking these drugs, other medications should be used to treat arrhythmias.

In addition, if the human body is deficient in adenine, mental retardation, blood disorders, skin disorders, hypoglycemia and other diseases will happen. It can also lead to dysmetabolism of fat, deposition of fat in cells, and impaired concentration of the kidney. Fortunately, adenine can be supplemented by eating foods containing vitamin B4, such as animal offal, soy products and so on.

Conclusion: 

Last, this brings us to sum up our article on the topic of “Adenine vs adenosine”. The difference between adenosine and adenine is reflected in the ingredients, the cure for different diseases, and the side effects. And we also need to choose suitable drug treatment under the guidance of a doctor to avoid the dangers.