Purinergic receptors are expressed throughout the respiratory system in diverse cell types. The efficiency of mucus clearance in the airways, the cascade leading to tissue injury, and inflammation are modulated by autocrine/paracrine release of nucleotides and signaling by purinergic receptors. We assessed the role of purinergic receptors in innate host defense of the lung in vivo by infecting mice deficient in P2Y₁, P2Y₂, or both receptors with intratracheal instillation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. After P. aeruginosa challenge, all double knockout (P2Y₁/P2Y₂−/−) mice succumbed within 30 h of challenge, whereas 85% of the wild-type mice survived. Thirty-three percent of wild-type mice survived beyond 96 h. Single knockout mice, P2Y₁−/−, or P2Y₂−/−, exhibited intermediate survivals. Twenty-four hours following intratracheal instillation of a sublethal dose of P. aeruginosa, the level of total protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was 1.8-fold higher in double knockout than in wild-type mice (P < 0.04). Total cell count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids at 4 h and levels of IL-6 and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 in lung homogenates at 24 h postchallenge were significantly reduced in P2Y₁/P2Y₂−/− mice relative to wild-type mice. These findings suggest that purinergic receptors exert a protective role against infection of the lungs by P. aeruginosa by decreasing protein leak and enhancing proinflammatory cytokine response.