title: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1beta and nitric oxide induce calcium transients in distinct populations of cells cultured from the rat area postrema.
abstract: The area postrema (AP) represents the medullary sensory circumventricular organ lacking endothelial blood-brain barrier function at the base of the 4th cerebral ventricle. Administration of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) or the nitric oxide (NO) donor diethylamino-diazenolate-2-oxide (DEA) caused fast transient rises in intracellular calcium concentrations ([Ca(2+)]i) in distinct populations of cells investigated in a primary microculture of the rat AP. TNF-alpha caused rapid elevations of [Ca(2+)]i in 8% of all neurons and astrocytes investigated, with limited responses of microglial cells and no responses of oligodendrocytes. 15% of all neurons investigated responded to IL-1beta, while only 5-7% of the other cell types showed rises in [Ca(2+)]i. The most pronounced effects were caused by treatment with DEA with some 20% responsive astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, 15% neurons and 10% microglial cells. Evidently, the AP can act as a sensor for circulating TNF-alpha and IL-1beta, or for locally produced cytokines and NO during infection and inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Veterinary -Physiology, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Frankfurter Strasse 100, D-35392 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wuchert
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ott
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rafalzik
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Rüdiger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gerstberger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D031608:Area Postrema / Q000166:cytology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006834:Hydrazines / Q000494:pharmacology; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D006834:Hydrazines; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C084012:1,1-diethyl-2-hydroxy-2-nitrosohydrazine; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D002118:Calcium