Activation of astroglial calcium signaling by endogenous metabolites succinate and gamma-hydroxybutyrate in the nucleus accumbens.

ABSTRACT: Accumulating evidence suggests that different energy metabolites play a role not only in neuronal but also in glial signaling. Recently, astroglial Ca(2+) transients evoked by the major citric acid cycle metabolite succinate (SUC) and gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) that enters the citric acid cycle via SUC have been described in the brain reward area, the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Cells responding to SUC by Ca(2+) transient constitute a subset of ATP-responsive astrocytes that are activated in a neuron-independent way. In this study we show that GHB-evoked Ca(2+) transients were also found to constitute a subset of ATP-responsive astrocytes in the NAc. Repetitive Ca(2+) dynamics evoked by GHB suggested that Ca(2+) was released from internal stores. Similarly to SUC, the GHB response was also c

SUBMITTER: Molnar T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3235779 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature