Department of Physiology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China.
Neurosci Bull. 2013 Jun;29(3):390-8. doi: 10.1007/s12264-013-1338-7. Epub 2013 May 3.
Cerebral ischemia is one of the most common diseases resulting in death and disability in aged people. It leads immediately to rapid energy failure, ATP depletion, and ionic imbalance, which increase extracellular ATP levels and accordingly activate P2X7 receptors. These receptors are ATP-gated cation channels and widely distributed in nerve cells, especially in the immunocompetent cells of the brain. Currently, interest in the roles of P2X7 receptors in ischemic brain injury is growing. In this review, we discuss recent research progress on the actions of P2X7 receptors, their possible mechanisms in cerebral ischemia, and the potential therapeutic value of P2X7 receptor antagonists which may provide a new target both for clinical and for research purposes.
脑缺血是导致老年人死亡和残疾的最常见疾病之一。它会导致能量迅速衰竭、三磷酸腺苷（ATP）耗竭和离子失衡，从而增加细胞外 ATP 水平，并相应地激活 P2X7 受体。这些受体是 ATP 门控阳离子通道，广泛分布于神经细胞中，特别是在大脑的免疫活性细胞中。目前，人们对 P2X7 受体在脑缺血损伤中的作用越来越感兴趣。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了 P2X7 受体作用的最新研究进展，以及它们在脑缺血中的可能机制，以及 P2X7 受体拮抗剂的潜在治疗价值，这可能为临床和研究目的提供一个新的靶点。
