TNF-alpha increases the frequency of spontaneous miniature synaptic currents in cultured rat hippocampal neurons.
Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a cytokine secreted by activated astrocytes and is known to alter evoked synaptic activity in slices of adult rat hippocampus. In this paper we show that TNF-alpha increases the frequency of spontaneous miniature synaptic currents in cultured hippocampal neurons, acting at nanomolar concentrations. In addition, we show that the mRNA for the 55 kDa TNF-alpha receptor (TNF-R1) is detected in embryonic rat hippocampal cultures, as well as in acutely dissected embryonic and adult rat hippocampi. Possible transduction pathways mediating the TNF-alpha effect are discussed.
Grassi
F
F
Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università di Roma La Sapienza,Italy.
Mileo
A M
AM
Monaco
L
L
Punturieri
A
A
Santoni
A
A
Eusebi
F
F
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051381:Rats / Q000196:embryology; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine / Q000378:metabolism; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*
D018121:Receptors, Cytokine; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002118:Calcium