ATP has been reported to enhance the membrane conductance of myometrial cells and uterine contractility. Purinergic P2 receptor expression has been reported in the myometrium, using molecular biology, but the functional identity of the receptor subtype has not been determined. In this study, ATP-induced currents were recorded and characterized in single myometrial cells from pregnant rats using whole cell patch clamping. Extracellular ATP was applied in the range of 10 μM-1 mM and induced currents with an EC50 of 74 μM, with no desensitization, time dependency, or voltage dependency. The currents induced carried multiple monovalent cations, with conductances ranked as K+ > Cs+ > Li+ > Na+. They were activated by P2X receptor agonists, with their effectiveness ranked as 2′,3′- O-(4-benzoylbenzoyl)-ATP >> ATP > αβ-methylene-ATP > 2-methylthio ATP ≥ UTP ≥ GTP > ADP. These currents were blocked by the selective P2X7 receptor antagonist 3-[5-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-1 H-tetrazol-1-yl]methyl pyridine (A-438079). We therefore concluded that ATP-induced currents in rat myometrial cells crossed cell membranes via P2X7 receptors. We further showed that the ATP-induced currents were blocked by extracellular Mg2+ (IC50 = 0.26 mM). Clinically, administering extracellular Mg2+ is known to inhibit uterine contraction. It therefore seems likely that uterine contraction may be induced by raised extracellular ATP and suppressed via Mg2+ inhibiting P2X7 receptors. Further research is needed into the P2X7 receptor as a therapeutic target in abnormal uterine contraction, as a possible treatment for premature labor.
P2X7 receptor activates extracellular signal-regulated kinases ERK1 and ERK2 independently of Ca2+ influx