title: Ultrastructural localisation of ATP-gated P2X2 receptor immunoreactivity in vascular endothelial cells in rat brain.
abstract: In this report, we show for the first time that P2X2 receptors--ATP-gated cation channels--can be demonstrated in endothelial cells of small cerebral vessels of rat. Immunoreactivity to P2X2 receptors was visualised at the ultrastructural level with electron-immunocytochemistry (ExtrAvidin-horseradish peroxidase technique) using a polyclonal antibody against the fragment of an intracellular domain of the receptor. The possibilities that these receptors may regulate the formation of gap and/or tight junctions between adjacent endothelial cells influencing the blood-brain barrier, or modulate the contractility of capillary endothelial cells are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College London, UK. a.loesch@ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loesch
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burnstock
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018048:Receptors, Purinergic P2 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D058476:Receptors, Purinergic P2X2
chemical_list: C546403:P2rx2 protein, rat; D018048:Receptors, Purinergic P2; D058476:Receptors, Purinergic P2X2; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate