Acta physiologica
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The activation of immune cells must be tightly regulated to allow an effective immune defence while limiting collateral damage to host tissues. Cellular ATP release and autocrine stimulation of purinergic receptors are recognized as critical regulators of immune cell activation. However, the study of purinergic signalling has been hampered by the short half-life of the released ATP and its breakdown products as well as the lack of real-time imaging methods to study spatiotemporal dynamics of ATP release. ⋯ We believe that these novel live cell imaging methods can be used to define the roles of purinergic signalling in immune cell activation and in the regulation of other complex physiological processes.
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Neuropathic pain is often refractory to conventional analgesics including opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Evidence suggests nicotinic acetylcholine receptor ligands regulate pain transmission. Effects of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor activation on pain behaviours after nerve injury were studied. ⋯ The activation of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expressed on infiltrating macrophages in injured nerves may participate in the relief of PSL-induced neuropathic pain during maintenance and initiation phases.