title: Stimulation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis by trans-(+/-)-ACPD is greatly enhanced when astrocytes are cultured in a serum-free defined medium.
abstract: Recent studies have demonstrated that astrocytes have much greater abilities to produce and respond to signalling molecules in the CNS than had been previously estimated. We now report a dramatic enhancement in the ability of a glutamate metabotropic receptor agonist, 1-aminocyclopentane-trans-(+/-)-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (trans-(+/-)-ACPD, to stimulate phosphoinositide hydrolysis in astrocytes cultured in a serum-free defined medium compared with astrocytes cultured in conventional serum-containing medium (43.2 +/- 3.6 vs. 3.2 +/- 0.48-fold of basal, respectively). This enhancement was selective to trans-(+/-)-ACPD as little or no difference in the response to carbachol or norepinephrine was seen between the two culture conditions. These results indicate a great potential for the phosphoinositide pathway in astrocyte glutamatergic signal transduction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychobiology, University of California, Irvine 92717-4550.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Bridges
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Cotman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D003515:Cycloleucine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006868:Hydrolysis; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate; D003515:Cycloleucine; C036361:1-amino-1,3-dicarboxycyclopentane