Figure 7.

Identification of purinoceptor isoforms in the chicken anterior mesenteric artery by RT-PCR. Homogenized samples of the chicken anterior mesenteric artery with intact endothelium (A) or those without endothelium (B) were used for RT-PCR. Amplified products of P2X1, P2X4, P2X5, P2Y1, P2Y5 and P2Y6 purinoceptors were observed in appropriate sizes in the endothelium-intact artery (A). P2Y5 and P2Y6 isoforms, but not P2X1, P2X4, P2X5 and P2Y1 isoforms, were amplified in the tissue without endothelium (B). Efficacy of endothelium removal was confirmed by amplifying the endothelium-specific protein PECAM1 (platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1) and smooth muscle-specific MLC. An amplified product of PECAM1 was not observed in the endothelium-removed samples, whereas MLC was found both in endothelium-intact and endothelium-removed samples. Similar results were obtained in five independent experiments. MLC, myosin alkali light chain; RT-PCR, reverse transcriptase-PCR.