P2X receptors mediated abnormal interaction between satellite glial cells and neurons in visceral pathological changes.

The adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-gated P2X receptor cation channel family consists of permeable ligand-gated ion channels that expand on the binding of extracellular adenosine 5'-ATP. ATP-gated P2X receptors are trimer ion channels that assemble homo or isomer from seven cloned subunits. P2X receptors are discovered mostly in mammalian and are being found in an increasing number of non-vertebrates, such as zebrafish, bullfrog, and ameba. P2X receptors are involved in many physiological processes, including regulation of heart rhythm and contractility, and regulation of pain, especially chronic pain and glia integration. This review summarizes the current studies on the regulation of P2X receptors in abnormal neuronal-glial interaction and the pathological changes in viscera, especially in myocardial ischemia.