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

Extracellular nucleotides elicit multiple responses in eosinophils but no i nformation on expression of purinergic receptors in these cells is availabl e so far. In the present study me show that human eosinophils express the f ollowing 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+ in crease and production of large amounts of reactive oxygen intermediates. Th ese events are stimulated or inhibited, respectively, by P2 receptor agonis ts or antagonists. (C) 2000 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. P ublished by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.