Photolytic flash-induced intercellular calcium waves using caged calcium ionophore in cultured astrocytes from newborn rats.
Waves of elevated intracellular free calcium that propagate between neighboring astrocytes are important for the intercellular communication between astrocytes as well as between neurons and astrocytes. However, the mechanisms responsible for the initiation and propagation of astrocytic calcium waves remain unclear. In this study, intercellular calcium waves were evoked by focal photolysis of a caged calcium ionophore (DMNPE-caged Br A23187) in cultured astrocytes from newborn rats. The focal photolysis of the caged compound resulted in the increase in intracellular calcium in a single astrocyte, and this increase then propagated to neighboring astrocytes. We also analyzed the spatiotemporal characteristics of the intercellular calcium waves, and estimated the propagation pathways for them. The method using a caged calcium ionophore described in this study provides a new in vitro model for the analysis of intercellular calcium waves.
Laboratory of Biomedical Control, Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan.
Sadahiro
S
Iwabuchi
Koichi
K
Kawahara
Koji
K
Makisaka
Hideomi
H
Sato
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D000001:Calcimycin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004058:Diffusion; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000502:physiology; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007476:Ionophores / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009578:Nitrobenzenes / Q000737:chemistry; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D010782:Photolysis; D051381:Rats
D007476:Ionophores; D009578:Nitrobenzenes; C085061:1-(4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrophenyl)diazoethane; D000001:Calcimycin; D002118:Calcium