P2 purinergic receptors of human eosinophils: characterization and coupling to oxygen radical production

Extracellular nucleotides elicit multiple responses in eosinophils but no information on expression of purinergic receptors in these cells is available so far. In the present study me show that human eosinophils express the following P2Y and P2X subtypes: P2Y(1), P2Y(2), P2Y(4), P2Y(6), P2Y(11), and P2X(1), P2X(4), P2X(7), whose stimulation results in intraccllular Ca2+ increase and production of large amounts of reactive oxygen intermediates. These events are stimulated or inhibited, respectively, by P2 receptor agonists or antagonists. (C) 2000 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.