Adenosine and AMP in the salivary glands of the sand fly Phlebotomus argentipes were characterized by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography with diode-array detection and mass spectrometry. AMP and adenosine were measured in individual salivary gland pairs, yielding 76.8 ± 8.6 and 380 ± 25 pmoles per pair of salivary glands, respectively (mean ± SE, n = 12). These values decrease to 45 ± 7 and 181 ± 21 pmoles following a blood meal, indicating that AMP and adenosine were secreted. Because adenosine and AMP have anti-platelet, vasodilatory, and immunomodulatory properties, it is proposed that these salivary nucleotides help the fly to blood feed and may affect Leishmania transmission.

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