title: Type-2 astrocytes show intracellular Ca2+ elevation in response to various neuroactive substances.
abstract: The effects of various neuroactive substances on the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in cultured type-2 astrocytes were examined by fura-2-based microfluorometry. Type-2 astrocytes showed [Ca2+]i elevation in response to all the substances examined, i.e. carbachol (10(-4) M), histamine (10(-4) M), noradrenaline (10(-4) M), serotonin (10(-4) M), substance P (10(-6) M), vasopressin (10(-6) M) and glutamate (10(-4) M). Not all type-2 astrocytes, however, responded to these substances at the concentrations tested, and the percentages of astrocytes showing a Ca2+ response differed depending on the substance. These results indicate that type-2 astrocytes are potential targets for widely diverse neuroactive substances and heterogeneous in response to them.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology II, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Inagaki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016257:Fura-2; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D009479:Neuropeptides; D002118:Calcium; D016257:Fura-2