Selective induction of endothelial P2Y6 nucleotide receptor promotes vascular inflammation.

During a systemic inflammatory response endothelial-expressed surface molecules have been strongly implicated in orchestrating immune responses. Previous studies have shown enhanced extracellular nucleotide release during acute inflammatory conditions. Therefore, we hypothesized that endothelial nucleotide receptors could play a role in vascular inflammation.

Signaling through the A2B adenosine receptor dampens endotoxin-induced acute lung injury.

Sepsis and septic acute lung injury are among the leading causes for morbidity and mortality of critical illness. Extracellular adenosine is a signaling molecule implicated in the cellular adaptation to hypoxia, ischemia, or inflammation. Therefore, we pursued the role of the A2B adenosine receptor (AR) as potential therapeutic target in endotoxin-induced acute lung injury.

ATP release from vascular endothelia occurs across Cx43 hemichannels and is attenuated during hypoxia.

Background: Extracellular ATP is an important signaling molecule for vascular adaptation to limited oxygen availability (hypoxia). Here, we pursued the contribution of vascular endothelia to extracellular ATP release under hypoxic conditions.

Methodology, Principal Findings: We gained first insight from studying ATP release from endothelia (HMEC-1) pre-exposed to hypoxia.

Upregulation of the water channel aquaporin-4 as a potential cause of postischemic cell swelling in a murine model of myocardial infarction.

Ischemia of the myocardium is generally accepted to be characterized by swelling of myocytes resulting in cardiac dysfunction. However, data are limited concerning the molecular mechanisms of fast water fluxes across cell membranes in ischemic hearts. Since aquaporin-4 (AQP4) is a water channel with an enormous water flux capacity, we investigated in this study whether this water channel protein might play a role in myocyte swelling following myocardial infarction.