This article is the authors' contribution to the tribute issue in honour of Geoffrey Burnstock, the founder of this journal and the field of purinergic signalling. We give a brief account of the results of experimental studies which at the beginning received valuable input from Geoff, who both directly and indirectly influenced our research undertaken over the last two decades. Research into the mechanisms controlling breathing identified ATP as the common mediator of the central and peripheral chemosensory transduction. Studies of the sources and mechanisms of chemosensory ATP release in the CNS suggested that this signalling pathway is universally engaged in conditions of increased metabolic demand by brain glial cells - astrocytes. Astrocytes appear to function as versatile CNS metabolic sensors that detect changes in brain tissue pH, CO₂, oxygen, and cerebral perfusion pressure. Experimental studies on various aspects of astrocyte biology generated data indicating that the function of these omnipresent glial cells and communication between astrocytes and neurons are governed by purinergic signalling, - first discovered by Geoff Burnstock in the 70's and researched through his entire scientific career.

本文是作者为纪念本刊和嘌呤能信号领域的创始人杰弗里·伯恩斯托克 (Geoffrey Burnstock) 特刊而撰写的文章。我们简要介绍了实验研究的结果，这些实验研究一开始就得到了杰夫的宝贵意见，他直接和间接地影响了我们在过去二十年中进行的研究。对控制呼吸机制的研究发现 ATP 是中枢和外周化学感觉转导的共同介质。对中枢神经系统中化学感应 ATP 释放的来源和机制的研究表明，该信号通路普遍参与脑胶质细胞（星形胶质细胞）代谢需求增加的情况。星形胶质细胞似乎充当多功能 CNS 代谢传感器，可检测脑组织 pH、CO ₂ 、氧气和脑灌注压的变化。对星形胶质细胞生物学各个方面的实验研究产生的数据表明，这些无所不在的神经胶质细胞的功能以及星形胶质细胞和神经元之间的通讯是由嘌呤能信号传导控制的，这是由 Geoff Burnstock 在 70 年代首次发现的，并在他的整个科学生涯中进行了研究。