Voltage-dependent sodium and potassium currents in cultured trout astrocytes

Heterogeneous astrocytes: Active players in CNS

Astrocytes, the predominant cell type that are broadly distributed in the brain and spinal cord, play key roles in maintaining homeostasis of the central nerve system (CNS) in physiological and pathological conditions. Increasing evidence indicates that astrocytes are a complex colony with heterogeneity on morphology, gene expression, function and many other aspects depending on their spatio-temporal distribution and activation level. In pathological conditions, astrocytes differentially respond to all kinds of insults, including injury and disease, and participate in the neuropathological process. Based on current studies, we here give an overview of the roles of heterogeneous astrocytes in CNS, especially in neuropathologies, which focuses on biological and functional diversity of astrocytes. We propose that a precise understanding of the heterogeneous astrocytes is critical to unlocking the secrets about pathogenesis and treatment of the mazy CNS.

Membrane currents and morphological properties of neurons and glial cells in the spinal cord and filum terminale of the frog

Using the patch-clamp technique in the whole-cell configuration combined with intracellular dialysis of the fluorescent dye Lucifer yellow (LY), the membrane properties of cells in slices of the lumbar portion of the frog spinal cord (n=64) and the filum terminale (FT, n=48) have been characterized and correlated with their morphology. Four types of cells were found in lumbar spinal cord and FT with membrane and morphological properties similar to those of cells that were previously identified in the rat spinal cord (Chvátal, A., Pastor, A., Mauch, M., Syková, E., Kettenmann, H., 1995. Distinct populations of identified glial cells in the developing rat spinal cord: Ion channel properties and cell morphology. Eur. J. Neurosci. 7, 129-142). Neurons, in response to a series of symmetrical voltage steps, displayed large repetitive voltage-dependent Na(+) inward currents and K(+) delayed rectifying outward currents. Three distinct types of non-neuronal cells were found. First, cells that exhibited passive symmetrical non-decaying currents were identified as astrocytes. These cells immunostained for GFAP and typically had at least one thick process and a number of fine processes. Second, cells with the characteristic properties of rat spinal cord oligodendrocytes, with passive symmetrical decaying currents and large tail currents after the end of the voltage step. These cells exhibited either long parallel or short hairy processes. Third, cells that expressed small brief inward currents in response to depolarizing steps, delayed rectifier outward currents and small sustained inward currents identical to rat glial precursor cells. Morphologically, they were characterized by round cell bodies with a number of finely branched processes. LY dye-coupling in the frog spinal cord gray matter and FT was observed in neurons and in all glial populations. All four cell types were found in both the spinal cord gray matter and FT. The glia/neuron ratio in the spinal cord was 0.78, while in FT it was 2.0. Moreover, the overall cell density was less in the FT than in the spinal cord. The present study shows that the membrane and morphological properties of glial cells in the frog and rat spinal cords are similar. Such striking phylogenetic similarity suggests a significant contribution from distinct glial cell populations to various spinal cord functions, particularly ionic and volume homeostasis in both mammals and amphibians.

Differential inhibition of glial K(+) currents by 4-AP

Spinal cord astrocytes express four biophysically and pharmacologically distinct voltage-activated potassium (K(+)) channel types. The K(+) channel blocker 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) exhibited differential and concentration-dependent block of all of these currents. Specifically, 100 microM 4-AP selectively inhibited a slowly inactivating outward current (K(SI)) that was insensitive to dendrototoxin (< or = 10 microM) and that activated at -50 mV. At 2 mM, 4-AP inhibited fast-inactivating, low-threshold (-70 mV) A-type currents (K(A)) and sustained, TEA-sensitive noninactivating delayed-rectifier-type currents (K(DR)). At an even higher concentration (8 mM), 4-AP additionally blocked inwardly rectifying, Cs(+)- and Ba(2+)-sensitive K(+) currents (K(IR)). Current injection into current-clamped astrocytes in culture or in acute spinal cord slices induced an overshooting voltage response reminiscent of slow neuronal action potentials. Increasing concentrations of 4-AP selectively modulated different phases in the repolarization of these glial spikes, suggesting that all four K(+) currents serve different roles in stabilization and repolarization of the astrocytic membrane potential. Our data suggest that 4-AP is an useful, dose-dependent inhibitor of all four astrocytic K(+) channels. We show that the slowly inactivating astrocytic K(+) currents, which had not been described as separate current entities in astrocytes, contribute to the resting K(+) conductance and may thus be involved in K(+) homeostatic functions of astrocytes. The high sensitivity of these currents to micromolar 4-AP suggests that application of 4-AP to inhibit neuronal A-currents or to induce epileptiform discharges in brain slices also may influence astrocytic K(+) buffering.

Voltage-gated sodium and potassium channels in radial glial cells of trout optic tectum studied by patch clamp analysis and single cell RT-PCR

Radial glial cells in the visual center of trout were analyzed immunocytochemically and with the whole cell mode of the patch-clamp technique in combination with RT-PCR. By immunostaining with anti-GFAP antibodies radially oriented cell processes spanning the entire width of the tectum were brightly labeled, while with anti-S-100 antiserum the cell bodies residing in a discrete layer close to the ventricular border became most clearly visible. Virtually all radial glial cells examined in brain slices exhibited voltage-gated sodium inward currents that were activated above -40 mV, blocked by micromolar concentrations of TTX and totally eliminated if sodium was substituted for Tris in the bath solution. In contrast with adjacent nerve cells of the same slices radial glial cells did not exhibit spontaneous electrical activity and could not be stimulated to generate action potentials by depolarizing current injections. Two types of voltage-gated potassium outward currents were elicited by depolarizing voltage steps: a sustained current with delayed rectifier properties and a superimposed transient "A"-type current, both being activated at a threshold potential of -40 mV. In cultured radial glial cells subtle differences were noticed regarding current density, inactivation kinetics, and TEA-sensitivity of the potassium currents. Inwardly rectifying potassium currents activating at hyperpolarized voltages were not observed. By single cell RT-PCR the transcripts of two shaker-related potassium channel genes (termed tsha1-a fish homologue to Kv1.2- and tsha3) were amplified, while transcripts for tsha 2 and tsha 4 were not detected.

Molecular structure and expression of shaker type potassium channels in glial cells of trout CNS

Two shaker-related potassium channel transcripts (tsha1, tsha2) were identified in glial cells of trout central nervous system (CNS) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-cloning and sequencing. While tsha1 was highly similar to the mammalian Kv1.2 subtype of potassium channels, tsha2 did not show a preferential sequence homology with a particular subtype of shaker, but exhibited uniform similarity with mammalian Kv1.1, Kv1.2, and Kv1.3, respectively. Transcripts for the shaw and shal subfamilies of voltage-gated potassium channels were detected in whole brain tissue only but not in freshly dissociated glial cells. Using mRNA extracted from different glial cell types in combination with sequence specific PCR primers, tshal was found restricted to oligodendrocytes and their progenitor cells, while tsha2 was common to astrocytes, as well.

Developmental regulation of Na+ and K+ conductances in glial cells of mouse hippocampal brain slices

The relative contribution of voltage activated Na+ and K+ currents to the whole cell current pattern of hippocampal glial cells was analyzed and compared during different stages of postnatal maturation. The patch-clamp technique was applied to identified cells in thin brain slices obtained from animals between postnatal day 5 and 35 (p5-35). We focused on a subpopulation of glial cells in the CA1 stratum radiatum which most probably represents a pool of immature astrocytes, termed "complex" cells. These cells could not be labelled by O1/O4 antibodies, but some of the older cells were positively stained for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). In the early postnatal days, the current pattern of the "complex" cells was dominated by two types of K+ outward currents: a delayed rectifier and a transient component. In addition, all cells expressed significant tetrodotoxin (TTX)-sensitive Na+ currents. During maturation, the contribution of delayed rectifier and A-type currents significantly decreased. Furthermore, almost all cells after p20 lacked Na+ currents. This down-regulation of voltage gated Na+ and K+ outward currents was accompanied by a substantial increase in passive and inward rectifier K+ conductances. We found increasing evidence of electrical coupling between the "complex" cells with continued development. It is concluded that these developmental changes in the electrophysiological properties of "complex" glial cells could be jointly responsible for the well known impaired K+ homeostasis in the early postnatal hippocampus.

Changes in ion channel expression during in vitro differentiation of trout oligodendrocyte precursor cells

Voltage-gated ionic currents were studied in cultured trout oligodendrocyte precursor cells derived from larval trout brain with the whole-cell mode of the patch-clamp technique. These bipolar cells which carry the ganglioside epitope A2B5 on their surface differentiated in vitro into immature multipolar oligodendrocytes expressing the myelin glycoprotein IP2, which signifies the initial step of oligodendroglial development in fish CNS. Depolarization above -40 mV activated a fast transient sodium inward current that was eliminated by substituting Na+ for choline and blocked in the presence of 1 microM TTX. The kinetics and the voltage-dependence of inactivation (half-maximal inactivation at -68 mV) resembled those of sodium currents described in mammalian oligodendrocyte precursor cells and CNS neurons. The expression of Na+ channels was developmentally regulated, since high amplitudes were measured only in A2B5+ cells with a characteristic bipolar morphology of glial progenitors. Depolarizing voltage steps, additionally elicited outward potassium currents that were sensitive to external 4-AP. In a subpopulation of cells this outward current consisted of a sustained and a transient component. The amplitude of both components were dependent on the prepulse potential.

Glutamate-activated ionic currents in cultured astrocytes from trout: evidence for the occurrence of non-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors

Glutamate-induced currents were recorded from cultured trout astrocytes with the whole-cell variation of the patch-clamp technique. Ninety percent of the tested cells were directly depolarized by the amino acid neurotransmitter in a concentration-dependent manner. The depolarizing effect was due to an inward current that reversed near 0 mV and was accompanied by a noise increase, indicating the opening of an ion channel. Ion substitution experiments revealed that the glutamate-induced current was mainly carried by sodium ions but not chloride or calcium ions. The glutamate-induced response could be mimicked by the neuronal glutamate receptor subtype agonists kainate and quisqualate, while N-methyl-D-aspartate was without detectable effect.