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. 2010 Oct;48(4):225-31.
doi: 10.1016/j.ceca.2010.09.004.

Ionotropic NMDA and P2X1/5 receptors mediate synaptically induced Ca2+ signalling in cortical astrocytes

Oleg Palygin  1 , Ulyana Lalo, Alexei Verkhratsky, Yuriy Pankratov
Affiliations

Ionotropic NMDA and P2X1/5 receptors mediate synaptically induced Ca2+ signalling in cortical astrocytes

Oleg Palygin et al. Cell Calcium. 2010 Oct.

Abstract

Local, global and propagating calcium (Ca(2+)) signals provide the substrate for glial excitability. Here we analyse Ca(2+) permeability of NMDA and P2X(1/5) receptors expressed in cortical astrocytes and provide evidence that activation of these receptors trigger astroglial Ca(2+) signals when stimulated by either endogenous agonists or by synaptic release of neurotransmitters. The Ca(2+) permeability of the ionotropic receptors was determined by reversal potential shift analysis; the permeability ratio P(Ca)/P(K) was 3.1 for NMDA receptors and 2.2 for P2X(1/5) receptors. Selective stimulation of ionotropic receptors (with NMDA and α,β-methyleneATP) in freshly isolated cortical astrocytes induced ion currents associated with transient increases in cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)). Stimulation of neuronal afferents in cortical slices triggered glial synaptic currents and [Ca(2+)](i) responses, which were partially blocked by selective antagonists of NMDA (D-AP5 and UBP141) and P2X(1/5) (NF449) receptors. We conclude that ionotropic receptors contribute to astroglial Ca(2+) signalling and may provide a specific mechanism for fast neuronal-glial signalling at the synaptic level.

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