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Updated: Dec 21, 2025

Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures
Published on: November 11, 2016
The Role of Purinergic Receptors in the Circadian System
Amira A H Ali1, Gayaneh Avanes Avakian1, Charlotte von Gall1
1Institute of Anatomy II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Moorenstrasse 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
Abstract:
The circadian system is an internal time-keeping system that synchronizes the behavior and physiology of an organism to the 24 h solar day. The master circadian clock, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), resides in the hypothalamus. It receives information about the environmental light/dark conditions through the eyes and orchestrates peripheral oscillators. Purinergic signaling is mediated by extracellular purines and pyrimidines that bind to purinergic receptors and regulate multiple body functions. In this review, we highlight the interaction between the circadian system and purinergic signaling to provide a better understanding of rhythmic body functions under physiological and pathological conditions.
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