“…Single strand cDNA was synthesized from 5 mg of total RNA with 20 units of RAV-2 reverse transcriptase (Takara Biochemicals, Kyoto, Japan) using random primers. A portion of cDNA was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method using rat P2X 1 -, P2X 2 , P2X 3 -, P2X 4 -, P2X 5 -, P2X 6 -, P2X 7 -, P2Y 1 -, P2Y 2 -, P2Y 4 -, P2Y 6 -and human P2Y 11 -specific primers synthesized according to the nucleotide sequences of rat receptor genes P2X 1 (GenBank accession number X80477) (Valera et al 1994), P2X 2 (GenBank accession number U14414) (Brake et al 1994), P2X 3 (GenBank accession number X90651) (Chen et al 1995), P2X 4 (GenBank accession number U47031) (Wang et al 1996), P2X 5 (GenBank accession number X97328) (Garcia-Guzman et al 1996), P2X 6 (GenBank accession number X92070) (Collo et al 1995), P2X 7 (GenBank accession number X95882) (Surprenant et al 1996), P2Y 1 (GenBank accession number U22830) (Tokuyama et al 1995), P2Y 2 (GenBank accession number L46865) (Chen et al 1996), P2Y 4 (GenBank accession number Y14705) (Bogdanov et al 1998), P2Y 6 (GenBank accession number D63665) (Chang et al 1995) and P2Y 11 (GenBank accession number AF030335) (Communi et al 1997), respectively: P2X 1 sense, 5‚-CCC-AGAAGGTGGCATATGCCAG-3‚ (nt 569-590); P2X 1 antisense, 5‚-CAGTCCAGATCACACTTCCAGTC-3‚ (nt 1003-981); P2X 2 sense, 5‚-ATCCTCATCAAGAACAGCATCCAC-3‚ (nt 589-612); P2X 2 antisense, 5‚-TTGGCAAACCTGAAGTTGTAGCCT-3‚ (nt 914-891); P2X 3 sense, 5‚-CTGTGAGATCCAGGGCTGGTG-3‚ (nt 619-639); P2X 3 antisense, 5‚-GGATGCCAAAAGCCT-TCAGGAG-3‚ (nt 1091-1070); P2X 4 sense, 5‚-AACATGATT-GTCACCGTGAACCAG-3‚ (nt 340-363); P2X 4 antisense, 5‚-TGCCATCACCTGGAAGCTATGTC-3‚ (nt 771-749); P2X 5 sense, 5‚-GACACTTCCCTGCAGAGTGCTG-3‚ (nt 225-246); P2X 5 antisense, 5‚-AAGGGGATCCGTTGGCATGGAC-3‚ (nt 593-572); P2X 6 sense, 5‚-GTAACCCAGGTTAAGGAACTG-GAG-3‚ (nt 239-262); P2X 6 antisense, 5‚-GTATCTAAG-GCATTGGTTCTGGAG-3‚ (nt 622-645); P2X 7 sense, 5‚-TCT-TCGACACGGCCGACTACAC-3‚ (nt 381-402); P2X 7 antisense, 5‚-AGCCGGAAGATGGGACACTGAG-3‚ (nt 813-792); P2Y 1 sense, 5‚-TCCGATGTGCCCTGATCAAGAC-3‚ (nt 738-759); P2Y 1 antisense, 5‚-ATGAGCCATACCAGCACACTGAC-3‚ (nt 1152-1130); P2Y 2 sense, 5‚-CGCTTCAACGAGGACTTCAAG-TA-3‚ (nt 559-581); P2Y 2 antisense, 5‚-CCCCAGCTCAGG-GAGTGCAGA-3‚ (nt 917-897); P2Y 4 sense, 5‚-GTTCTG-GAGATGGTGATTGTAGG-3‚ (nt 1407-1429); P2Y 4 antisense, 5‚-CAGTATCCCAGGTATCGGTGCA-3‚ (nt 1758-1737); P2Y 6 sense, 5‚-CTACCGTGAGGATTTCAAGCGAC-3‚ (nt 496-518); P2Y 6 antisense, 5‚-CTGGAAGCTAATGCAGGTGAGGA-3‚ (nt 808-786); P2Y 11 sense, 5‚-TGGAGCGCTTCCTCTTCACCTG-3‚ (nt 302-323); P2Y 11 antisense, 5‚-AGTCATGCCTGGGCT-GCGTAG-3‚ (nt 708-688). The PCR reaction included 0.4 ml of template cDNA, 2.5 units of KOD dash polymerase (Toyobo Biochemicals, Osaka, Japan), 1 mM KCl, 6 mM (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , 0.1 % Triton X-100, 10 mg ml _1 BSA, 0.2 mM each of deoxynucleotide triphosphates and 4 pmol primers in 20 ml of 120 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH 8.0).…”