Astrocytic GPCR-Induced Ca²⁺ Signaling Is Not Causally Related to Local Cerebral Blood Flow Changes.

ABSTRACT: Activation of Gq-type G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) gives rise to large cytosolic Ca²⁺ elevations in astrocytes. Previous in vitro and in vivo studies have indicated that astrocytic Ca²⁺ elevations are closely associated with diameter changes in the nearby blood vessels, which astrocytes enwrap with their endfeet. However, the causal relationship between astrocytic Ca²⁺ elevations and blood vessel diameter changes has been questioned, as mice with diminished astrocytic Ca²⁺ signaling show normal sensory hyperemia. We addressed this controversy by imaging cortical vasculature while optogenetically elevating astrocyte Ca²⁺ in a novel transgenic mouse line, expressing Opto-Gq-type GPCR Optoα1AR (Astro-Optoα1AR) in astrocytes. Blue l

SUBMITTER: Ozawa K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10487464 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature