Geoff Burnstock created an outstanding scientific legacy that includes identification of adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the gut, the discovery and characterisation of a large family of purine and uridine nucleotide-sensitive ionotropic P2X and metabotropic P2Y receptors and the demonstration that ATP is as an excitatory cotransmitter in autonomic nerves. The evidence for cotransmission includes that: 1) ATP is costored with noradrenaline in synaptic vesicles in postganglionic sympathetic nerves innervating smooth muscle tissues, including the vas deferens and most arteries. 2) When coreleased with noradrenaline, ATP acts at postjunctional P2X1 receptors to elicit depolarisation, Ca²⁺ influx, Ca²⁺ sensitisation and contraction. 3) ATP is also coreleased with acetylcholine from postganglionic parasympathetic nerves innervating the urinary bladder, where it stimulates postjunctional P2X1 receptors, and a second, as yet unidentified site to evoke contraction of detrusor smooth muscle. In both systems membrane-bound ecto-enzymes and soluble nucleotidases released from postganglionic nerves dephosphorylate ATP and so terminate its neurotransmitter actions. Currently, the most promising potential area of therapeutic application relating to cotransmission is treatment of dysfunctional urinary bladder. This family of disorders is associated with the appearance of a purinergic component of neurogenic contractions. This component is an attractive target for drug development and targeting it may be a rewarding area of research.

Geoff Burnstock 创造了杰出的科学遗产，其中包括鉴定 5'-三磷酸腺苷 (ATP) 作为肠道中的抑制性神经递质，发现和表征一大类对嘌呤和尿苷核苷酸敏感的离子型 P2X 和代谢型 P2Y 受体以及证明 ATP 是自主神经中的兴奋性共递质。共传递的证据包括：1) ATP 与去甲肾上腺素共存于神经节后交感神经的突触小泡中，这些神经支配平滑肌组织，包括输精管和大多数动脉。2) 当与去甲肾上腺素共同释放时，ATP 作用于结后 P2X1 受体以引起去极化、Ca ²⁺流入、Ca ²⁺敏化和收缩。3) ATP 还与来自支配膀胱的节后副交感神经的乙酰胆碱共同释放，在那里它刺激结后 P2X1 受体，以及第二个尚未确定的位点，以引起逼尿肌平滑肌的收缩。在这两个系统中，膜结合胞外酶和从节后神经释放的可溶性核苷酸酶使 ATP 去磷酸化，从而终止其神经递质作用。目前，与共传播相关的最有希望的潜在治疗领域是治疗功能失调的膀胱。这一系列疾病与神经源性收缩的嘌呤能成分的出现有关。该成分是药物开发的一个有吸引力的目标，靶向它可能是一个有益的研究领域。