title: Cerebral type 2 astroglia are heterogeneous with respect to their ability to respond to neuroligands linked to calcium mobilization.
abstract: Very little information is available concerning the pharmacology of type 2 astroglia. During the past decade it has become apparent that two distinct lineages of astroglial cells can be defined in vitro. These two lineages are commonly referred to as type 1 and type 2 and are distinguished from each other on the basis of their morphological features and antigenic phenotypes. In contrast to type 1 astroglia, very little is known about the pharmacology of type 2 astroglia. The lack of information concerning the responsiveness of these cells stems primarily from difficulties encountered in isolating large numbers of type 2 astroglia free of other cell types. In the present study video- and photometer-based imaging systems were used to monitor the influence of a series of neuroligands on the intracellular calcium levels of individual cerebral type 2 astroglia in order to assess their expression of calcium-mobilizing receptors. The responses of 85 immunocytochemically identified cerebral type 2 astroglia to bradykinin (BK), norepinephrine (NE), histamine (HIST), carbachol (CARB), 2-methyl-thio ATP (2MT-ATP), glutamate (GLUT), and serotonin (5-HT) were analyzed. Approximately 50% of cerebral type 2 astroglia responded to BK, NE, HIST, CARB, and 2MT-ATP whereas only 16% and 9% of the cells responded to GLUT and 5-HT, respectively. The number of neuroligands that increased calcium in individual cells ranged from 0 to 6. These responses are quite similar to those previously demonstrated in cultured cerebral type 1 astroglia. No pattern of receptor co-expression was observed for the different neuroligands tests.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7365.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dave
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: McCarthy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008024:Ligands; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D002118:Calcium