title: Glutamate receptor-linked changes in membrane potential and intracellular Ca2+ in primary rat astrocytes.
abstract: Kainate-, quisqualate- and glutamate-induced depolarization and mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ was determined in primary cultured astrocytes using the fluorescent probes DiBa-C4-(3) and fura-2, respectively. All three receptor agonists depolarized the cells in a Na+-dependent manner and increased the intracellular Ca2+ concentration. The glutamate- and quisqualate-induced increase in cytosolic Ca2+ was only partially inhibited by removal of extracellular Ca2+, whereas the response to kainate was totally dependent on extracellular Ca2+. The mechanisms for depolarization and increases in cytosolic Ca2+ appeared to be independent of each other, as extracellular Ca2+ removal or intracellular Ca2+ buffering with entrapped BAPTA did not affect the depolarization. Removal of extracellular Na+ did not affect the agonist-induced increase in Ca2+. If quisqualate was added after kainate, the cells were hyperpolarized in a Ca2+- and K+-dependent manner. This could be due to effects on a Ca2+-dependent K+ channel, the effects of which are normally hidden by the greater effect on Na+ channels as a response to quisqualate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacy, Abo Akademi, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Enkvist
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Holopainen
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Akerman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005971:Glutamates / Q000494:pharmacology; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D010069:Oxadiazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D016318:Quisqualic Acid; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005971:Glutamates; D010069:Oxadiazoles; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D016318:Quisqualic Acid; D007608:Kainic Acid; D002118:Calcium