Activation of the adenosine A2B receptor even beyond the therapeutic window of N-acetylcysteine accelerates liver recovery after an acetaminophen overdose

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is the most common cause of acute liver failure in the USA. The short therapeutic window of the current antidote, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) highlights the need for novel late acting therapeutics. The neuronal guidance cue netrin-1 provides delayed protection against APAP hepatotoxicity through the adenosine A2B receptor (A2BAR). The clinical relevance of this mechanism was investigated here by administration of the A2BAR agonist BAY 60-6583, after an APAP overdose (300 or 600 mg/kg) in fasted male and female C57BL/6J mice with assessment of liver injury 6 or 24 h after APAP in comparison to NAC. BAY 60-6583 treatment 1.5 h after APAP overdose (600 mg/kg) protected against liver injury at 6 h by preserving mitochondrial function despite JNK activation and its mitochondrial translocation. Gender independent protection was sustained when BAY 60-6583 was given 6 h after APAP overdose (300 mg/kg), when NAC administration did not show benefit. This protection was accompanied by enhanced infiltration of macrophages with the reparative anti-inflammatory phenotype by 24 h, accompanied by a decrease in neutrophil infiltration. Thus, our data emphasize the remarkable therapeutic utility of using an A2BAR agonist, which provides delayed protection long after the standard of care NAC ceased to be effective.