title: Nanosecond UV lasers stimulate transient Ca2+elevations in human hNT astrocytes.
abstract: Astrocytes respond to various stimuli resulting in intracellular Ca2+signals that can propagate through organized functional networks. Recent literature calls for the development of techniques that can stimulate astrocytes in a fast and highly localized manner to emulate more closely the characteristics of astrocytic Ca2+signals in vivo.
  
  
  
  In this article we demonstrate, for the first time, how nanosecond UV lasers are capable of reproducibly stimulating Ca2+transients in human hNT astrocytes.
  
  
  
  We report that laser pulses with a beam energy of 4-29 µJ generate transient increases in cytosolic Ca2+. These Ca2+transients then propagate to adjacent astrocytes as intercellular Ca2+waves.
  
  
  
  We propose that nanosecond laser stimulation provides a valuable tool for enabling the study of Ca2+dynamics in human astrocytes at both a single cell and network level. Compared to previously developed techniques nanosecond laser stimulation has the advantage of not requiring loading of photo-caged or -sensitising agents, is non-contact, enables stimulation with a high spatiotemporal resolution and is comparatively cost effective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Science, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Raos
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Unsworth
mesh_terms: D001253:Astrocytes / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002460:Cell Line; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium