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Updated: Aug 3, 2026
10:46
Mechanical Stimulation-induced Calcium Wave Propagation in Cell Monolayers: The Example of Bovine Corneal Endothelial Cells
Published on: July 16, 2013
[Neurotransmitter ATP and cytokine release]
K Morigiwa1, Y Fukuda, M Yamashita
1Department of Physiology and Biosignaling, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan.
Summary
Microglia purinoceptor activity shifts with activation state. P2Z receptor activation in microglia induces cytokine release, apoptosis, and inhibits proliferation, impacting central nervous system injury responses.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Context:
- Microglia, the primary immune cells in the central nervous system (CNS), respond to injury by releasing cytokines and initiating repair.
- Extracellular ATP modulates microglial function through ionotropic P2X and metabotropic P2Y purinoceptors.
Purpose:
- To investigate the role of different purinoceptors (P2U and P2Z) in microglial activation under various conditions (LPS stimulation and hypoxia).
- To determine the involvement of P2Z receptors in cytokine release, proliferation, and apoptosis of microglia.
Summary:
- Non-stimulated microglia express P2U and P2Z receptors equally. LPS stimulation enhances the P2Z response and associated Ca2+ influx.
- Hypoxia shifts the response towards P2U dominance, inducing proliferation via Ca2+ mobilization.
- P2Z receptor activation, enhanced by BzATP, drives the release of TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta, while simultaneously inhibiting mitosis and inducing apoptosis in microglia.
Impact:
- P2Z receptor activation plays a dual role in microglial response to injury, promoting inflammatory cytokine release and cell death.
- Understanding purinoceptor function in microglia offers potential therapeutic targets for CNS disorders involving neuroinflammation.
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