Cardiovascular Biology of Purines

Book excerpt: Following many years when a great deal of attention was directed towards the intracellular roles of purines, there is expanding interest in the field of extracellular purinergic signalling. In this book we focus on the actions of purines in cardiovascular biology, where it is clear that they play major roles in both normal and pathophysiological conditions. Activation of different purinoceptor subtypes by purines can regulate cardiac contractility and electrical activity, modulate catecholamine-mediated responses both pre- and post-junctionally, trigger and mediate ischaemic preconditioning, cause vasodilation and vasoconstriction and enhance endothelial proliferation and apoptosis as well as inhibit platelet and neutrophil function. This book covers the cardiovascular actions mediated by the major P1 and P2 subclasses of purinoceptors and emphasizes the interactions between these two signalling systems. Cardiovascular Biology of Purines covers topics ranging from molecular and cellular to systemic and clinical. It also aims to highlight how basic advances have led to the identification of novel targets for cardiovascular therapeutic developments. We hope that our book will prove to be timely and helpful.