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Cerebral Cortex Advance Access originally published online on August 3, 2005
Cerebral Cortex 2006 16(5):676-687; doi:10.1093/cercor/bhj013
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© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oupjournals.org

The Role of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors for the Generation of Calcium Oscillations in Rat Hippocampal Astrocytes In Situ

Robin Zur Nieden and Joachim W. Deitmer

Abteilung für Allgemeine Zoologie, FB Biologie, Technische Universität, Postfach 3049, D-67653 Kaiserslautern, Germany

Address correspondence to Dr Joachim W. Deitmer, Abteilung für Allgemeine Zoologie, FB Biologie, Technische Universität, Postfach 3049, D-67653 Kaiserslautern, Germany. Email: deitmer{at}rhrk.uni-kl.de.

Ca2+ oscillations are part of the intra- and intercellular signalling in many cell types. We have studied Ca2+ oscillations in astrocytes in acute brain slices of the hippocampus of juvenile rats (postnatal 8–14 days old), using confocal laser scanning microscopy and bulk-loading of the Ca2+-sensitive dye Fluo-4. Astrocytes were identified morphologically in the stratum radiatum, and by their Ca2+ response in the absence of external K+. Thirty-five per cent of astrocytes (43 slices) showed spontaneous Ca2+ oscillations, with a frequency of 1.26 ± 0.11 transients/min (n = 366). These Ca2+ signals were unaffected by tetrodotoxin (0.5 µM) and Ni2+ (2 mM), but were sensitive to interference with the phospholipase C-mediated Ca2+ release from intracellular stores. Spontaneous Ca2+ oscillations were reduced or suppressed by antagonists of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) of groups I and II, but not affected by antagonists of group III. Glutamate (1–100 µM) and specific agonists of mGluR groups I and II evoked concentration-dependent Ca2+ signals, which were oscillatory at intermediate concentrations (e.g. at 10 µM glutamate). Our results indicate that mGluRs of both groups I and II are involved in mediating Ca2+ oscillations in astrocytes, which might be glial responses to micromolar changes of glutamate in the extracellular spaces.

Key Words: APDC • confocal microscopy • DHPG • Fluo-4 • MCPG


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