Somatic and axonal effects of ATP via P2X2 but not P2X7 receptors in rat thoracolumbar sympathetic neurones

1471-4159

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

Excitatory ATP responses in rat cultured thoracolumbar sympathetic neurones are mediated by somatic P2X2 receptors. The present study investigated a possible role of axonal P2X2 as well as P2X7 receptors on the same preparation. Confocal laser scanning microscopy demonstrated P2X2 and P2X7 immunoreactivity along the axons as well as P2X7 immunoreactivity surrounding the cell nuclei. P2X7 mRNA expression was detected in individual neurones using a single-cell RT–PCR approach. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) caused a significant increase in axonal Ca2+ concentration which was dependent on external Ca2+ but insensitive to depletion of the cellular Ca2+ pools by cyclopiazonic acid. Pyridoxal-phosphate-6-azophenyl-2′,4′-disulfonate (PPADS; 30 µm) virtually abolished the ATP response, whereas brilliant blue G (0.1 µm), a selective P2X7 receptor antagonist, had no effect. Dibenzoyl-ATP (BzATP; 100 µm) induced a much smaller increase in axonal [Ca2+] concentration than ATP at equimolar concentrations. The response to BzATP was distinctly reduced by PPADS but not by brilliant blue G. The overall pharmacological profile of the axonal P2X receptors resembled closely that of the somatic P2X2 receptors. In conclusion, the present data suggest the occurrence of axonal excitatory P2X2 receptors in thoracolumbar sympathetic neurones. However, the functional significance of axonal and (peri)-nuclear P2X7 receptors has still to be proven.

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