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Effects of various inducers on the expression of P2X7 receptor in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Zhang Xiujun, Zheng Guoguang, Ma Xiaotong, Lin Yongmin, Song Yuhua, Wu Kefu

State Key Laboratory for Experimental Hematology,Institute of Hematology,Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College.Tianjin 300020

Abstract

Regulation of P2X7 receptor expression isof interest because activation of this receptor by extracellular ATP triggers a wide variety of cell functions in leukocytes. However, its expression and modulation in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)and monocytes remain unclear. RT-PCR was used to detect the constitutive level of P2X7 receptor and the levels upon stimulation with bacteria, bacterial product, mitogen and various cytokines in human PBMC and monocytes. P2X7 receptor mRNA was detected in PBMC and monocytes. P2X7 receptor expression in PBMC was up-regulated by interleukin-2, -4, -6 (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6) tumour necrosis factor-#alpha# (TNF-#alpha#), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and heat-inactivated Staphylococcus aureus Cowan strain Ⅰ (SAC). However,interferon-#gamma# (IFN-#gamma#), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF)and phytohemagglutinin-M (PHA-M) had little effect on the expression of P2X7 receptor. Furthermore, LPS and M-CSF could upregulate P2X7 receptor expression in monocytes, while IFN-#gamma#, TNF-#alpha# and GM-CSF had weak effects, but pretreatment with these inducers could not further enhance LPS-stimulated P2X7 receptor expression in monocytes. The results obtained demonstrate that inflammatory stimuli drive P2X7 expression, thus supporting the hypothesis that P2X7 receptor may play a role in the inflammatory responses against bacteria infection, which need further verification.

Key words: P2X7 receptor;cytokines;peripheral blood mononuclear cells;monocytes

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Citing This Article：

Zhang Xiujun, Zheng Guoguang, Ma Xiaotong, Lin Yongmin, Song Yuhua, Wu Kefu. Effects of various inducers on the expression of P2X7 receptor in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Acta Physiol Sin 2005; 57 (2): (in Chinese with English abstract).