Purinergic receptors mediate endothelial dysfunction and participate in atherosclerosis

[摘要] Atherosclerosis is the main pathological basis of cardiovascular disease and involves damage to vascular endothelial cells(ECs) that results in endothelial dysfunction (ED). The vascular endothelium is the key to maintaining blood vessel healthand homeostasis. ED is a complex pathological process involving infammation, shear stress, vascular tone, adhesion ofleukocytes to ECs, and platelet aggregation. The activation of P2X4, P2X7, and P2Y2 receptors regulates vascular tone inresponse to shear stress, while activation of the A2A, P2X4, P2X7, P2Y1, P2Y2, P2Y6, and P2Y12 receptors promotes thesecretion of infammatory cytokines. Finally, P2X1, P2Y1, and P2Y12 receptor activation regulates platelet activity. Thesepurinergic receptors mediate ED and participate in atherosclerosis. In short, P2X4, P2X7, P2Y1, and P2Y12 receptors arepotential therapeutic targets for atherosclerosis.

[学科分类] 分子生物学，细胞生物学和基因

[关键词] Atherosclerosis;Purinergic signaling;Endothelial dysfunction;P1 receptors;P2 receptors