Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2017 May 17;1(2):14.
doi: 10.3390/vision1020014.

The Role of the P2X7 Receptor in Ocular Stresses: A Potential Therapeutic Target

Mélody Dutot  1   2 , Elodie Olivier  1 , Anaïs Wakx  1 , Patrice Rat  1
Affiliations
Review

The Role of the P2X7 Receptor in Ocular Stresses: A Potential Therapeutic Target

Mélody Dutot et al. Vision (Basel). .

Abstract

The P2X7 receptor is expressed in both anterior and posterior segments of the eyeball. In the ocular surface, the P2X7 receptor is activated in case of external aggressions: preservatives and surfactants induce the activation of P2X7 receptors, leading to either apoptosis, inflammation, or cell proliferation. In the retina, the key endogenous actors of age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma act through P2X7 receptors' activation and/or upregulation of P2X7 receptors' expression. Different therapeutic strategies aimed at the P2X7 receptor exist. P2X7 receptor antagonists, such as divalent cations and Brilliant Blue G (BBG) could be used to target either the ocular surface or the retina, as long as polyunsaturated fatty acids may exert their effects through the disruption of plasma membrane lipid rafts or saffron that reduces the response evoked by P2X7 receptor stimulation. Treatments against P2X7 receptor activation are proposed by using either eye drops or food supplements.

Keywords: P2X7 receptor; modulation; ocular; stress; therapeutic target.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

    1. North R.A. Molecular physiology of P2X receptors. Physiol. Rev. 2002;82:1013–1067. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00015.2002. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ralevic V., Burnstock G. Receptors for purines and pyrimidines. Pharmacol. Rev. 1998;50:413–492. - PubMed
    1. Lundy P.M., Hamilton M.G., Mi L., Gong W., Vair C., Sawyer T.W., Frew R. Stimulation of Ca(2+) influx through ATP receptors on rat brain synaptosomes: Identification of functional P2X(7) receptor subtypes. Br. J. Pharmacol. 2002;135:1616–1626. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0704624. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Miras-Portugal M.T., Diaz-Hernandez M., Giraldez L., Hervas C., Gomez-Villafuertes R., Sen R.P., Gualix J., Pintor J. P2X7 receptors in rat brain: Presence in synaptic terminals and granule cells. Neurochem. Res. 2003;28:1597–1605. doi: 10.1023/A:1025690913206. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Deuchars S.A., Atkinson L., Brooke R.E., Musa H., Milligan C.J., Batten T.F., Buckley N.J., Parson S.H., Deuchars J. Neuronal P2X7 receptors are targeted to presynaptic terminals in the central and peripheral nervous systems. J. Neurosci. 2001;21:7143–7152. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources