title: Characterization of the hypo-osmolarity-induced Ca2+ response in cultured rat astrocytes.
abstract: The influence of astrocyte swelling on the cytosolic free calcium concentration [Ca2+]i was studied at the single cell level. Sudden exposure of normo-osmotically (305 mosmol/l) cultured astrocytes to hypo-osmotic medium induced a biphasic increase in cytosolic calcium with an initial peak followed by a sustained plateau. The response was osmolarity dependent and was maximal at 205 mosmol/l with respect to [Ca2+]i and the percentage of responding cells. Other modes of astrocyte swelling [gradual adjustment of hypo-osmolarity, normo-osmotic exposure of hyper-osmotic (405 mosmol/l) maintained cells] produced a much weaker [Ca2+]i response. Change from 405 to 205 mosmol/l, however, resulted in the entire peak and an increased plateau. Experiments with Ca(2+)-free medium and after pretreatment with BAPTA-AM, thapsigargin, phorbol myristate acetate, or nimodipine revealed that the peak mainly resulted from depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores, whereas the plateau was probably due to capacitative Ca2+ entry and Ca2+ influx independent of store depletion including a nimodipin-sensitive component. Prior depletion of ryanodine-, bradykinin- or ATP-sensitive stores revealed that the initial hypo-osmolarity-induced Ca(2+)-release was from a Ca2+ pool also affected by ATP and bradykinin, but not by ryanodine. The recent finding, that the hypo-osmolarity-induced [Ca2+]i response was completely maintained if phospholipase C-mediated phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis was blocked, suggests that hypo-osmolarity may exert an inositol (1,4,5) triphosphate-independent access to these stores.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schliess
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Häussinger
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001920:Bradykinin / Q000494:pharmacology; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003470:Culture Media; D004533:Egtazic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D005444:Flunarizine / Q000494:pharmacology; D007038:Hypotonic Solutions; D007700:Kinetics; D009553:Nimodipine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012433:Ryanodine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D019284:Thapsigargin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002614:Chelating Agents; D003470:Culture Media; D007038:Hypotonic Solutions; C070379:1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid acetoxymethyl ester; D012433:Ryanodine; D004533:Egtazic Acid; D009553:Nimodipine; D019284:Thapsigargin; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; D005444:Flunarizine; D001920:Bradykinin; D002118:Calcium