Nucleotides are released from cells in response to mechanical stimuli and signal in an autocrine/paracrine manner through cell surface P2 receptors. P2rx7-/- mice exhibit diminished appositional growth of long bones and impaired responses to mechanical loading. We find that calvarial sutures are wider in P2rx7-/- mice. Functional P2X7 receptors are expressed on osteoblasts in situ and in vitro....

Axon properties, including action potential initiation and modulation, depend on both AIS integrity and the regulation of ion channel expression in the AIS. Alteration of the axon initial segment (AIS) has been implicated in neurodegenerative, psychiatric, and brain trauma diseases, thus identification of the physiological mechanisms that regulate the AIS is required to understand and circumven...

The processing and regulated secretion of IL-1beta are critical points of control of the biological activity of this important pro-inflammatory cytokine. IL-1beta is produced by both monocytes and macrophages, but the rate and mechanism of release differ according to the differentiation status and the origin of these cells. We aimed to study the control of processing and release in human blood ...

Microglial activation and the release of pro‑inflammatory cytokines occur during early glaucoma. However, the exact mechanism underlying the initiation of the microglial activation process remains unclear. Thus, the present study investigated the potential role of a purine receptor subtype, the P2X purinoceptor 7 (P2X7) receptor, during microglial activation in the retinal tissues of a rat chro...

OBJECTIVE To test the effect of activation of P2X7 receptors on retinal blood velocity in diabetic rabbits. METHODS Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on healthy and diabetic rabbit eyes using P2X7 receptor antibodies. Diabetes was induced using alloxan. Retinal blood velocity was measured with the laser speckle circulation analyzer. Visual function was assessed using electroretinogra...

Stimulation of the P2X7 receptor by ATP induces cell membrane depolarization, increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration, and, in most cases, permeabilization of the cell membrane to molecules up to 900 Da. After the activation of P2X7, at least two phenomena occur: the opening of low-conductance (8 pS) cationic channels and pore formation. At least two conflicting hypotheses have been postul...

The purinergic P2X7 receptor is expressed by bone cells and has been shown to be important in both bone formation and bone resorption. In this study we investigated the importance of the genetic background of the mouse strains on which the P2X7 knock-out models were based by comparing bone status of a new BALB/cJ P2X7(-/-) strain with a previous one based on the C57BL/6 strain. Female four-mont...

BACKGROUND hyaluronan biopolymer is used in dermatology but the underlying mechanism and the impact of its molecular weight have not yet been investigated in skin wound healing. The aim of our work was to study the role of HA molecular weight in the proliferative phase of wound healing and to understand how this physiological biopolymer acts to promote wound healing on a human keratinocyte in v...

THE ROLE OF P2X RECEPTORS IN HIV AND OPIATE-RELATED NEUROTOXICITY By: Mary E. Sorrell Ph.D. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014 Major Director: Kurt F. Hauser, Professor, Pharmacology and Toxicology Emerging evidence suggests that opioid drugs can exacerba...

neuroleptic malignant syndrome (nms) is a rare fatal medical complication that occurs as a result of dopaminergic receptor blockage in the caudate at the termination of the nigrostriatal pathways (1), and may occur at any time following consumption of dopamine antagonists. this disorder also occurs in cases of sudden discontinuation of dopamine agonists and antagonists (2,3). some studies have ...