title: Neuronal modulation of calcium channel activity in cultured rat astrocytes.
abstract: The patch-clamp technique was used to study whether cocultivation of neurons and astrocytes modulates the expression of calcium channel activity in astrocytes. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from rat brain astrocytes cocultured with rat embryonic neurons revealed two types of voltage-dependent inward currents carried by Ca2+ and blocked by either Cd2+ or Co2+ that otherwise were not detected in purified astrocytes. This expression of calcium channel activity in astrocytes was neuron dependent and was not observed when astrocytes were cocultured with purified oligodendrocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine 90024.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Corvalan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Vellis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hagiwara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D002450:Cell Communication; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D002118:Calcium