Glial-neural interaction demonstrated by the injection of Na+ and Li+ into cortical glia.
Injection of Na+ or Li+ into cortical glia evokes glial depolarization, discharge of adjacent neurons, and vascular pulsation. The effects can be explained by the extrusion of K+ from glia after cation injection, glial swelling, and the slow removal of the cation from glia. The data suggest that the reduced rate of reuptake of K+ into Na+-loaded glia results in epileptiform firing of neurons, and support the hypothesis that glia function to buffer the environment of neurons.
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D002021:Buffers; D002415:Cats; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D011188:Potassium / Q000502:physiology; D012964:Sodium / Q000494:pharmacology
D002021:Buffers; D008094:Lithium; D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium