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[Effect of P2X7 receptor on inflammatory diseases and its mechanism.] [Article in Chinese]

XU Hong, LIANG Shang-Dong^*

Department of Physiology，School of Basic Medical Sciences of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China

Abstract

P2X7 receptor is a member of ATP-gated non-selective cation channels. P2X7 receptor is widely distributed in vivo, and its expression is always observed to be up-regulated in the pathological inflammatory circumstances. P2X7 receptor has an unusual property of forming membrane pore during prolonged agonist exposure or high concentrations of agonist activation, different from other members of P2X receptors (P2X1-6). Because of this property, P2X7 receptor has been implicated in inflammatory cytokine release, and is closely related to inflammatory diseases. With the wide application of the P2X7-knockout animal model and specific P2X7 receptor antagonists in inflammatory disease research, P2X7 receptor is emerging as a new target for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. This article will review the recent progress regarding the effect of P2X7 receptor on inflammatory diseases and its mechanism.

Key words: P2X7 receptor; ATP; inflammatory disease; IL-1β; IL-18

Received: 2012-11-07　　Accepted: 2013-01-28

Corresponding author: 梁尚栋　　E-mail: liangsd88@163.com

Citing This Article：

XU Hong, LIANG Shang-Dong. [Effect of P2X7 receptor on inflammatory diseases and its mechanism.] [Article in Chinese]. Acta Physiol Sin 2013; 65 (2): 244-252 (in Chinese with English abstract).