4 SUCCINATE RECEPTORS (SUCNR1) AS A POTENTIAL TARGET FOR PHARMACOTHERAPY

A considerable number of reports have been published in recent years on G protein-coupled receptors, their distribution in the body, mechanism of activation, and potential pathways for pharmacological actions. Intermediates in carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism and the tricarboxylic acid cycle, operating as endogenous ligands for a large group of ex-orphan receptors, have active roles in regulating metabolic processes, while their synthetic analogs, operating as both agonists and antagonists, may have potential for the development of new pharmaceuticals for a wide range of diseases (diabetes mellitus, obesity, metabolic syndrome, autoimmune disorders, hypertension, myocardial hypertrophy and ischemia, neurodegenerative processes, liver diseases, etc.). The present review addresses GPR91 (SUCNR1) receptors, which have been identified in fatty tissue, liver, kidneys, heart, brain, retinal neurons, dendritic cells, and platelets, and which are regarded as physiological regulators and cell sensors for stress-induced damage and hypoxia.