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 we show that human eosinophils express the following P2Y and P2X subtypes: P2Y1, P2Y2, P2Y4, P2Y6, P2Y11, and P2X1, P2X4, P2X7, whose stimulation results in intracellular Ca2+ increase and production of large amounts of reactive oxygen intermediates. These events are stimulated or inhibited, respectively, by P2 receptor agonists or antagonists.
