title: Na+ and K+ dependence of L-glutamate-induced suppression of astrocyte stellation in culture.
abstract: We have recently found that L-glutamate suppresses astrocyte stellation induced by various stimuli, and that this effect of L-glutamate is mimicked by transportable glutamate uptake inhibitors. To test the possible role of the glutamate transporter in the regulation of astrocyte morphology, we investigated the Na+ and K+ dependence of this effect of L-glutamate. In astrocyte cultures obtained from the cerebral cortex of neonatal rats, the L-glutamate-induced suppression of astrocyte stellation was significantly attenuated in a low- Na+/high- K+ medium and by the Na+ -K+ pump inhibitor ouabain. These results support that astrocyte morphology is affected by the activity of the Na+ -dependent glutamate transporter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan. abe@hoshi.ac.jp
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saito
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018698:Glutamic Acid; D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium