P2X7 reseptörlerinin beyin felci üzerine etkileri ve rolü

P2X7 receptors are cationic-selective ion channels gated by extracellular ATP and expressed throughout the peripheral and central nervous systems. P2X7 receptors are involved in the regulation of receptor trafficking, inflammation and ATP-mediated cell death. In the present study, we aimed to examine the impacts of P2X7 receptors in the development of neuronal cell death after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) in mice. In the present studies, we show that the activation of P2X7 receptors with 250 µM BzATP does not increase the cellular damage significantly, as compared with the vehicle-treated control animals after MCAo in which slow and rapid neuronal cell death are observed. However, inhibition of P2X7 receptors by 10 mM Brilliant Blue G (BBG) improved neuronal survival. Furthermore, inhibition of P2X7 receptors decreased infarct volume, brain swelling and neurological scores 90 min after MCAo and 24 hours reperfusion. In addition, inhibition of P2X7 receptors decreased DNA fragmentation and increased neuronal survival after 30 min of MCAo which was associated with increased phosphorylation of survival kinases. Here, we provide evidence for a potential role of P2X7 receptors in mediation of neuronal cell death. We predict that clinical implementation of P2X7 receptor antagonists can be beneficial after neurodegenerative disorders.