page_title: Purinergic signalling
section_title: Current
hierarchical_section_title: Purinergic signalling / Therapeutic interventions / Current
caption_attribution_description: A box of Plavix
context_page_description: Purinergic signalling is a form of extracellular signalling mediated by purine nucleotides and nucleosides such as adenosine and ATP. It involves the activation of purinergic receptors in the cell and/or in nearby cells, thereby regulating cellular functions.
  The purinergic signalling complex of a cell is sometimes referred to as the “purinome”.
context_section_description: Acupuncture
  Mechanical deformation of the skin by acupuncture needles appears to result in the release of adenosine. A 2014 Nature Reviews Cancer review article found that the key mouse studies that suggested acupuncture relieves pain via the local release of adenosine, which then triggered close-by A1 receptors "caused more tissue damage and inflammation relative to the size of the animal in mice than in humans, such studies unnecessarily muddled a finding that local inflammation can result in the local release of adenosine with analgesic effect." The anti-nociceptive effect of acupuncture may be mediated by the adenosine A1 receptor. Electroacupuncture may inhibit pain by the activation of a variety of bioactive chemicals through peripheral, spinal, and supraspinal mechanisms of the nervous system.
  Anti-inflammatory drugs
  Methotrexate, which has strong anti-inflammatory properties, inhibits the action of dihydrofolate reductase, leading to an accumulation of adenosine.  On the other hand, the adenosine-receptor antagonist caffeine reverses the anti-inflammatory effects of methotrexate.
  Anti-platelet drugs
  Many anti-platelet drugs such as Prasugrel, Ticagrelor, and Ticlopidine are adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor inhibitors. Before the expiry of its patent, the P2Y12 receptor antagonist Clopidogrel (trade name: Plavix) was the second most prescribed drug in the world. In 2010 alone, it generated over US$9 billion in global sales.
  Bronchodilators
  Theophylline was originally used as a bronchodilator, although its usage has declined due to several side effects such as seizures and cardiac arrhythmias caused by adenosine A1 receptor antagonism.
  Herbal medicine
  Several herbs used in Traditional Chinese medicine contain drug compounds that are antagonists of P2X purinoreceptors. The following table provides an overview of these drug compounds and their interaction with purinergic receptors.
  Vasodilators
  Regadenoson, a vasodilator which acts on the adenosine A2A receptor, was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2008 and is currently widely used in the field of cardiology. Both adenosine and dipyridamole, which act on the A2A receptor, are used in myocardial perfusion imaging.
caption: Clopidogrel (Plavix), an inhibitor of the P2Y12 receptor, was formerly the second best-selling drug in the world[56]
exif: {"Image ImageDescription": "", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS2 Windows", "Image DateTime": "2007:04:25 16:28:12", "Image ExifOffset": "208", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "346", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "5178", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "3648", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "2736"}