Protective Agents in Parkinson’s Disease: Caffeine and Adenosine A2A Receptor Antagonists

Abstract

Based on several findings suggesting that the adenosinergic system is one of the most interesting in the field of neuroprotection in Parkinson’s disease, this chapter describes the functions of the purine adenosine and its A2A receptors in the central nervous system, with emphasis on their role in neuroprotection. The neuromodulatory role of A2A receptors and the preclinical and epidemiological studies on the mechanisms of the neuroprotective role of caffeine and urate, the final product of purine catabolism, are extensively discussed in the light of their potential modifying effects on Parkinson’s disease.