title: Effects of dexamethasone on intracellular Ca2+ in its sensitive cells from neonatal mouse hippocampus and cultured cortical neurogliocytes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of dexamethasone (Dex) on intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) in the single neuron or neurogliocyte.
  
  
  METHODS
  Neonatal mouse hippocampal cells (NMHC) and cultured cortical neurogliocytes (CCN) were loaded with Fura 2-AM. The [Ca2+]i was measured with AR-CM-MIC-cation measurement system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of freshly isolated NMHC exhibited a rapid and concentration-dependent [Ca2+]i increase after administration of Dex 40-200 mumol.L-1. Only 10% of NMHC showed their [Ca2+]i decreases in total 96 tested cells. Dex-triggered [Ca2+]i rise was prevented by incubating the cells with Mg(2+)-free solution and reduced by adding LaCl3. Suspended NMHC in Ca(2+)-free solution or pretreated cells with mifepristone or tetrodotoxin prevented the initial [Ca2+]i increases caused by Dex 40-90 mumol.L-1, but only diminished the later [Ca2+]i rises by Dex 200 mumol.L-1. About 50% of tested single CCN showed a rapid and concentration-related [Ca2+]i increase due to Dex 90-270 mumol.L-1 exposure. This effect was partially inhibited under extracellular Ca(2+)- or Mg(2+)-free and mifepristone pretreatment conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dex produces the rapid [Ca2+]i changes in both neurons and glia cells. Reactions among most cells include a Mg(2+)-dependent and glucocorticoid receptor-related extracellular Ca2+ influx and a high concentration of Dex-mediated intracellular Ca2+ release.
authors.affiliation: Medical School, Nanjing University, China. yingfeng@nju.edu.cn
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: J X
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: X N
authors.initials: XN
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Z X
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003907:Dexamethasone; D002118:Calcium