Receptor subtypes for purines have been identified in a variety of tissues, increasing interest in the roles of purine-mediated signalling in pathophysiological processes. Growing evidence supports the involvement of one of the purinoceptor subtypes, P2X3, in nociception. In this article, recent studies of purine-mediated nociception and visceral pain will be discussed. Furthermore, a novel hypothesis is proposed for purine-mediated mechanosensory transduction where ATP released during distension from epithelial cells lining tubes (such as ureter and gut) and sacs (such as the bladder) acts on P2X3 receptors on a subepithelial nerve plexus to initiate impulses that are relayed via the spinal cord to pain centres in the brain.
CITATION STYLE
Burnstock, G. (2001, April 1). Purine-mediated signalling in pain and visceral perception. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences. Elsevier Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-6147(00)01643-6
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