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Ca 2+ homeostasis in brain microvascular endothelial cells. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 362:55-110. [PMID: 34253298 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2021.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Blood brain barrier (BBB) is formed by the brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMVECs) lining the wall of brain capillaries. Its integrity is regulated by multiple mechanisms, including up/downregulation of tight junction proteins or adhesion molecules, altered Ca2+ homeostasis, remodeling of cytoskeleton, that are confined at the level of BMVECs. Beside the contribution of BMVECs to BBB permeability changes, other cells, such as pericytes, astrocytes, microglia, leukocytes or neurons, etc. are also exerting direct or indirect modulatory effects on BBB. Alterations in BBB integrity play a key role in multiple brain pathologies, including neurological (e.g. epilepsy) and neurodegenerative disorders (e.g. Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis etc.). In this review, the principal Ca2+ signaling pathways in brain microvascular endothelial cells are discussed and their contribution to BBB integrity is emphasized. Improving the knowledge of Ca2+ homeostasis alterations in BMVECa is fundamental to identify new possible drug targets that diminish/prevent BBB permeabilization in neurological and neurodegenerative disorders.
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Soria FN, Miguelez C, Peñagarikano O, Tønnesen J. Current Techniques for Investigating the Brain Extracellular Space. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:570750. [PMID: 33177979 PMCID: PMC7591815 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.570750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain extracellular space (ECS) is a continuous reticular compartment that lies between the cells of the brain. It is vast in extent relative to its resident cells, yet, at the same time the nano- to micrometer dimensions of its channels and reservoirs are commonly finer than the smallest cellular structures. Our conventional view of this compartment as largely static and of secondary importance for brain function is rapidly changing, and its active dynamic roles in signaling and metabolite clearance have come to the fore. It is further emerging that ECS microarchitecture is highly heterogeneous and dynamic and that ECS geometry and diffusional properties directly modulate local diffusional transport, down to the nanoscale around individual synapses. The ECS can therefore be considered an extremely complex and diverse compartment, where numerous physiological events are unfolding in parallel on spatial and temporal scales that span orders of magnitude, from milliseconds to hours, and from nanometers to centimeters. To further understand the physiological roles of the ECS and identify new ones, researchers can choose from a wide array of experimental techniques, which differ greatly in their applicability to a given sample and the type of data they produce. Here, we aim to provide a basic introduction to the available experimental techniques that have been applied to address the brain ECS, highlighting their main characteristics. We include current gold-standard techniques, as well as emerging cutting-edge modalities based on recent super-resolution microscopy. It is clear that each technique comes with unique strengths and limitations and that no single experimental method can unravel the unknown physiological roles of the brain ECS on its own.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico N. Soria
- Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Leioa, Spain
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Cristina Miguelez
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
- Autonomic and Movement Disorders Unit, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Biocruces Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain
| | - Olga Peñagarikano
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Jan Tønnesen
- Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Leioa, Spain
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
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Yang X, Ransom BR, Ma JF. The role of AQP4 in neuromyelitis optica: More answers, more questions. J Neuroimmunol 2016; 298:63-70. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2016.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Revised: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Lee SJ, King MA, Sun J, Xie HK, Subhash G, Sarntinoranont M. Measurement of viscoelastic properties in multiple anatomical regions of acute rat brain tissue slices. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2013; 29:213-24. [PMID: 24099950 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2013.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2013] [Revised: 08/25/2013] [Accepted: 08/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Mechanical property data for brain tissue are needed to understand the biomechanics of neurological disorders and response of the brain to different mechanical and surgical forces. Most studies have characterized mechanical behavior of brain tissues over large regions or classified tissue properties for either gray or white matter regions only. In this study, spatially heterogeneous viscoelastic properties of ex vivo rat brain tissue slices were measured in different anatomical regions including the cerebral cortex, caudate/putamen, and hippocampus using an optical coherence tomography (OCT) indentation system. Cell viability was also tested to observe neuronal degeneration and morphological changes in tissue slices and provide a proper timeline for mechanical tests. Shear modulus was estimated by fitting normalized deformation data (D/ti), which was defined as the ratio of deformation depth (D) to initial thickness of the tissue slice (ti), to a viscoelastic finite element model. The estimated shear modulus decayed nonlinearly over 10min in each anatomical region, and the range of instantaneous to equilibrium shear modulus was 3.8-0.54kPa in the cerebral cortex, 1.4-0.27kPa in the hippocampus and 1.0-0.17kPa in the caudate/putamen. Although these regions are all gray matter structures, their measured mechanical properties were significantly different. Accurate measurement of inter-regional variations in mechanical properties will contribute to improved understanding organ-level structural parameters and regional differential susceptibility to deformation injury within CNS tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- S J Lee
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
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5
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Abstract
Diffusion in the extracellular space (ECS) of the brain is constrained by the volume fraction and the tortuosity and a modified diffusion equation represents the transport behavior of many molecules in the brain. Deviations from the equation reveal loss of molecules across the blood-brain barrier, through cellular uptake, binding, or other mechanisms. Early diffusion measurements used radiolabeled sucrose and other tracers. Presently, the real-time iontophoresis (RTI) method is employed for small ions and the integrative optical imaging (IOI) method for fluorescent macromolecules, including dextrans or proteins. Theoretical models and simulations of the ECS have explored the influence of ECS geometry, effects of dead-space microdomains, extracellular matrix, and interaction of macromolecules with ECS channels. Extensive experimental studies with the RTI method employing the cation tetramethylammonium (TMA) in normal brain tissue show that the volume fraction of the ECS typically is approximately 20% and the tortuosity is approximately 1.6 (i.e., free diffusion coefficient of TMA is reduced by 2.6), although there are regional variations. These parameters change during development and aging. Diffusion properties have been characterized in several interventions, including brain stimulation, osmotic challenge, and knockout of extracellular matrix components. Measurements have also been made during ischemia, in models of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and in human gliomas. Overall, these studies improve our conception of ECS structure and the roles of glia and extracellular matrix in modulating the ECS microenvironment. Knowledge of ECS diffusion properties is valuable in contexts ranging from understanding extrasynaptic volume transmission to the development of paradigms for drug delivery to the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Syková
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
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Griesemer D, Mautes AM. Closed head injury causes hyperexcitability in rat hippocampal CA1 but not in CA3 pyramidal cells. J Neurotrauma 2008; 24:1823-32. [PMID: 18159994 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2006.0237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury frequently elicits epileptic seizures hours or days after the impact. The mechanisms on cellular level are poorly understood. Because posttraumatic epilepsy appears in many cases as a temporal-lobe epilepsy which originated the hippocampus, we studied trauma-induced hyperexcitability on the cellular level in this brain area. We used the model of closed head injury to analyse the electrophysiological changes in CA1 and CA3 pyramidal cells and in interneurones of the CA1 field, which is extremely sensitive to ischemia. We found that morphologically closed head injury (CHI) led to a gradual progressive, cell type specific time course in neuronal degeneration. To analyse electrophysiological impairment we measured resting membrane potential, recorded spontaneous action potentials and induced action potentials by current pulses at different times after CHI. We found a dramatic increase in the frequency of spontaneous action potentials of CA1 but not of CA3 pyramidal cells after CHI. This hyperexcitability was maximal at 2 h (4.5-fold higher than sham), was also observed at 24 h after CHI and disappeared after 3 days. We found that CA1 interneurones responded by a much weaker increase of AP frequency after CHI. We conclude that the strong hyperexcitability after CHI is cell-type specific and transient. The understanding of the complex neuronal interactions probably offers a promising possibility for pharmacological intervention to prevent posttraumatic epilepsy.
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Savtchenko LP, Rusakov DA. Extracellular diffusivity determines contribution of high-versus low-affinity receptors to neural signaling. Neuroimage 2005; 25:101-11. [PMID: 15734347 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2004.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2004] [Revised: 10/10/2004] [Accepted: 11/15/2004] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging detects physiological changes in the human brain by highlighting alterations in local diffusivity. However, the causal link between brain tissue diffusivity and neural activity is poorly understood. Synaptic physiology studies in vitro coupled with biophysical modeling have suggested that extracellular diffusion affects the spatial profile of receptor activation during synaptic discharges. Here, we attempt to address this issue more directly, by recording synaptic currents from individual cells in acute brain slices while reducing the bath medium diffusivity by 25-30% (measured with two-photon microscopy) using inert dextran molecules. We find that retarding extracellular diffusion increases the activation of high-affinity NMDA, but not low-affinity AMPA, receptors in response to remote, spontaneous or evoked, synaptic releases of the common excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. The results suggest that variations in extracellular diffusivity could reflect an altered contribution of higher- versus lower-affinity receptor types to the network activity of synaptic circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonid P Savtchenko
- Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
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Pond BB, Galeffi F, Ahrens R, Schwartz-Bloom RD. Chloride transport inhibitors influence recovery from oxygen-glucose deprivation-induced cellular injury in adult hippocampus. Neuropharmacology 2004; 47:253-62. [PMID: 15223304 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2004.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2003] [Revised: 03/24/2004] [Accepted: 04/22/2004] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Cerebral ischemia in vivo or oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) in vitro are characterized by major disturbances in neuronal ionic homeostasis, including significant rises in intracellular Na(+), Ca(2+), and Cl(-) and extracellular K(+). Recently, considerable attention has been focused on the cation-chloride cotransporters Na-K-Cl cotransporter isoform I (NKCC-1) and K-Cl cotransporter isoform II (KCC2), as they may play an important role in the disruption of ion gradients and subsequent ischemic damage. In this study, we examined the ability of cation-chloride transport inhibitors to influence the biochemical (i.e. ATP) and histological recovery of neurons in adult hippocampal slices exposed to OGD. In the hippocampus, 7 min of OGD caused a loss of ATP that recovered partially (approximately 50%) during 3 h of reoxygenation. Furosemide, which inhibits the NKCC-1 and KCC2 cotransporters, and bumetanide, a more specific NKCC-1 inhibitor, enhanced ATP recovery when measured 3 h after OGD. Furosemide and bumetanide also attenuated area CA1 neuronal injury after OGD. However, higher concentrations of these compounds appear to have additional non-specific toxic effects, limiting ATP recovery following OGD and promoting neuronal injury. The KCC2 cotransporter inhibitor DIOA and the Cl(-) ATPase inhibitor ethacrynic acid caused neuronal death even in the absence of OGD and promoted cytochrome c release from isolated mitochondria, indicating non-specific toxicities of these compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooks B Pond
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3813, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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Scheffler B, Schmandt T, Schröder W, Steinfarz B, Husseini L, Wellmer J, Seifert G, Karram K, Beck H, Blümcke I, Wiestler OD, Steinhäuser C, Brüstle O. Functional network integration of embryonic stem cell-derived astrocytes in hippocampal slice cultures. Development 2003; 130:5533-41. [PMID: 14530298 DOI: 10.1242/dev.00714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Embryonic stem (ES) cells provide attractive prospects for neural transplantation. So far, grafting strategies in the CNS have focused mainly on neuronal replacement. Employing a slice culture model, we found that ES cell-derived glial precursors (ESGPs) possess a remarkable capacity to integrate into the host glial network. Following deposition on the surface of hippocampal slices, ESGPs actively migrate into the recipient tissue and establish extensive cell-cell contacts with recipient glia. Gap junction-mediated coupling between donor and host astrocytes permits widespread delivery of dye from single donor cells. During maturation,engrafted donor cells display morphological, immunochemical and electrophysiological properties that are characteristic of differentiating native glia. Our findings provide the first evidence of functional integration of grafted astrocytes, and depict glial network integration as a potential route for widespread transcellular delivery of small molecules to the CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn Scheffler
- Department of Neuropathology, University of Bonn Medical Center, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, D-53105 Bonn, Germany
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Abstract
During ischemia, the transport of molecules in the extracellular space (ECS) is obstructed in comparison with healthy brain tissue, but the cause is unknown. Extracellular tortuosity (lambda), normally 1.6, increases to 1.9 in ischemic thick brain slices (1000 microm), but drops to 1.5 when 70,000 Mr dextran (dex70) is added to the tissue as a background macromolecule. We hypothesized that the ischemic increase in lambda arises from diffusion delays in newly formed dead-space microdomains of the ECS. Accordingly, lambda decreases when dead-space diffusion is eliminated by trapping dex70 in these microdomains. We tested our hypothesis by analyzing the diffusion of several molecules in neocortical slices. First we showed that diffusion of fluorescent dex70 in thick slices declined over time, indicating the entrapment of background macromolecules. Next, we measured diffusion of tetramethylammonium (TMA+) (74 Mr) to show that the reduction of lambda depended on the size of the background macromolecule. The synthetic polymer, 40,000 Mr polyvinylpyrrolidone, reduced lambda in thick slices, whereas 10,000 Mr dextran did not. The dex70 was also effective in normoxic slices (400 microm) after hypoosmotic stress altered the ECS to mimic ischemia. Finally, the dex70 effect was confirmed independently of TMA+ using fluorescent 3000 Mr dextran as a diffusion marker in thick slices: lambda decreased from 3.29 to 2.44. Taken together, these data support our hypothesis and offer a novel explanation for the origin of the large lambda observed in ischemic brain. A semiquantitative model of dead-space diffusion corroborates this new interpretation of lambda.
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11
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Rusakov D, Fine A. Extracellular Ca2+ depletion contributes to fast activity-dependent modulation of synaptic transmission in the brain. Neuron 2003; 37:287-97. [PMID: 12546823 PMCID: PMC3375894 DOI: 10.1016/s0896-6273(03)00025-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Synaptic activation is associated with rapid changes in intracellular Ca(2+), while the extracellular Ca(2+) level is generally assumed to be constant. Here, using a novel optical method to measure changes in extracellular Ca(2+) at high spatial and temporal resolution, we find that brief trains of synaptic transmission in hippocampal area CA1 induce transient depletion of extracellular Ca(2+). We show that this depletion, which depends on postsynaptic NMDA receptor activation, decreases the Ca(2+) available to enter individual presynaptic boutons of CA3 pyramidal cells. This in turn reduces the probability of consecutive synaptic releases at CA3-CA1 synapses and therefore contributes to short-term paired-pulse depression of minimal responses. This activity-dependent depletion of extracellular Ca(2+) represents a novel form of fast retrograde synaptic signaling that can modulate glutamatergic information transfer in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- D.A. Rusakov
- Division of Neurophysiology National, Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA
- Institute of Neurology, University College Londonm, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
- Correspondence: (D.A.R.), afine@nimr. mrc.ac.uk (A.F.)
| | - A. Fine
- Division of Neurophysiology National, Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4H7, Canada
- Correspondence: (D.A.R.), afine@nimr. mrc.ac.uk (A.F.)
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12
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Davis S, Brotchie J, Davies I. Protection of striatal neurons by joint blockade of D1 and D2 receptor subtypes in an in vitro model of cerebral hypoxia. Exp Neurol 2002; 176:229-36. [PMID: 12093100 DOI: 10.1006/exnr.2002.7926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Massive increases in extracellular dopamine have been reported in the ischemic rodent striatum, implicating this neurotransmitter in toxic events. We have examined whether dopamine receptor antagonists are protective against hypoxic insult, using brain slices containing the rostral striatum obtained from adult male C57/BLIcrfa(t) mice. Slices were subjected in vitro to 20 min nitrogen hypoxia, with or without addition of: (i) 50 microM haloperidol (D2 receptor antagonist and sigma ligand), (ii) 10 microM SCH23390 (selective D1 receptor antagonist), (iii) 10 microM eticlopride (selective D2 receptor antagonist), (iv) 10 microM SCH23390 and 10 microM eticlopride in combination, and (v) 10 microM MK-801 (noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist). Subsequently, slices were reoxygenated, fixed 2 h postinsult, and processed for light microscopy. Damage was assessed by calculating pyknotic profiles as a percentage of total neuronal profiles present. No pyknotic profiles were detected in normoxic control tissue, but this phenotype predominated in most slices subject to hypoxia alone (60.1 +/- 30.6% pyknotic profiles). Marked protection was produced by haloperidol (7.1 +/- 7.6%, P = 0.002), MK-801 (8.6 +/- 6.9%, P = 0.007), and the combined application of SCH23390 and eticlopride (5.9 +/- 9.4%, P = 0.001). No protection was demonstrated for SCH23390 or eticlopride when applied separately. These data suggest that hypoxic damage in the rostral mouse striatum is mediated via NMDA, D1, and D2 receptors. Protection against hypoxic damage by dopamine receptor antagonists requires the combined blockade of both classes of dopamine receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sue Davis
- Wolfson Research Centre, Institute for Aging and Health, United Kingdom
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13
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Abstract
Excellent progress has been made toward understanding the physiology and pharmacology of specific calcium-related cellular processes of the brain, but few studies have provided an integrated view of brain calcium kinetics. To further the knowledge of the size and binding properties of brain calcium compartments, the authors have conducted a series of experiments in hippocampal brain slices exposed to high and low extracellular calcium. Slices were incubated in buffers containing 0.001 to 4.5 mmol/L calcium for up to 75 minutes. Slice calcium content was analyzed by three methods: exchange equilibrium with 45Ca, synchrotron-radiation-induced x-ray emission, and inductively coupled plasma. Data were analyzed using a model based on a Langmuir isotherm for two independent sites, with additional extracellular and bound compartments. In parallel experiments, altered low calcium had no effect on slice histology and only mild effects on slice adenylates. When combined with prior 45Ca and fluorescent probe binding experiments, these results suggest that there are at least five kinetically distinct calcium compartments: (1) free extracellular (approximately 10%); (2) loosely associated extracellular plasma membrane (approximately 55%); (3) intracellular compartment with moderate avidity (approximately 17%); (4) tightly bound, nonexchangeable intracellular compartment ( approximately 15%); and (5) free cytoplasmic (<0.01%). If only the third compartment is considered a potential calcium buffer, then the buffering ratio is calculated to be approximately 2,700:1, but if the second compartment is also included, then the buffering ratio would be approximately 13,000:1. This may explain the wide range of estimates observed by fluorescent probe studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- George C Newman
- Department of Neurology, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York 11794-8121, USA
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Suh SW, Danscher G, Jensen MS, Thompson R, Motamedi M, Frederickson CJ. Release of synaptic zinc is substantially depressed by conventional brain slice preparations. Brain Res 2000; 879:7-12. [PMID: 11010999 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-8993(00)02675-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Research on synaptically-released zinc is frequently done in vitro with acute brain slice preparations. We show here the in vitro hippocampal slice preparation has two major pitfalls for zinc research. First, up to 50% of the synaptic zinc is lost during slice cutting and/or the first 10 min of slice incubation, with the losses being most pronounced on the edges of the slice. Second, the release of the remaining zinc from a slice is substantially depressed (up to 50%) at the low temperatures (32 degrees C) typically used for brain slice studies. In concert, these effects reduce zinc release about 75% in vitro, compared to in vivo. Implications for research on synaptically-released zinc are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- S W Suh
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, and Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Texas Medical Branch, 625 Jennie-Sealy Hospital, Galveston, TX 77555-0456, USA
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15
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Abstract
An unexpected decrease of extracellular space (ECS) tortuosity was recently reported in thick (1,000 microm) ischemic slices using radiotracers. The current study shows that the tortuosity in thick slices from rat neocortex can increase or decrease depending on experimental conditions, whereas ECS volume fraction remains diminished to approximately 10%. Using diffusion of tetramethylammonium, it was found that tortuosity rose from a normoxic value of 1.66 to 1.99 in thick slices. However, tortuosity dropped to 1.54 when dextran (70,000 molecular weight) was added to the bathing medium. The current results show that dextran enhances diffusion in thick ischemic slices without increasing the size of the ECS.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Hrabetová
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, New York University School of Medicine, New York 10016, USA
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Galeffi F, Sinnar S, Schwartz-Bloom RD. Diazepam promotes ATP recovery and prevents cytochrome c release in hippocampal slices after in vitro ischemia. J Neurochem 2000; 75:1242-9. [PMID: 10936207 DOI: 10.1046/j.1471-4159.2000.0751242.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Benzodiazepines protect hippocampal neurons when administered within the first few hours after transient cerebral ischemia. Here, we examined the ability of diazepam to prevent early signals of cell injury (before cell death) after in vitro ischemia. Ischemia in vitro or in vivo causes a rapid depletion of ATP and the generation of cell death signals, such as the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria. Hippocampal slices from adult rats were subjected to 7 min of oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) and assessed histologically 3 h after reoxygenation. At this time, area CA1 neurons appeared viable, although slight abnormalities in structure were evident. Immediately following OGD, ATP levels in hippocampus were decreased by 70%, and they recovered partially over the next 3 h of reoxygenation. When diazepam was included in the reoxygenation buffer, ATP levels recovered completely by 3 h after OGD. The effects of diazepam were blocked by picrotoxin, indicating that the protection was mediated by an influx of Cl(-) through the GABA(A) receptor. It is interesting that the benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil did not prevent the action of diazepam, as has been shown in other studies using the hippocampus. Two hours after OGD, the partial recovery of ATP levels occurred simultaneously with an increase of cytochrome c (approximately 400%) in the cytosol. When diazepam was included in the reoxygenation buffer, it completely prevented the increase in cytosolic cytochrome c. Thus, complete recovery of ATP and prevention of cytochrome c release from mitochondria can be achieved when diazepam is given after the loss of ATP induced by OGD.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Galeffi
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
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17
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Carlin KP, Jiang Z, Brownstone RM. Characterization of calcium currents in functionally mature mouse spinal motoneurons. Eur J Neurosci 2000; 12:1624-34. [PMID: 10792440 DOI: 10.1046/j.1460-9568.2000.00050.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Motoneurons integrate synaptic input and produce output in the form of trains of action potentials such that appropriate muscle contraction occurs. Motoneuronal calcium currents play an important role in the production of this repetitive firing. Because these currents change in the postnatal period, it is necessary to study them in animals in which the motor system is 'functionally mature', that is, animals that are able to weight-bear and walk. In this study, calcium currents were recorded using whole-cell patch-clamp techniques from large (> 20 microm) ventral horn cells in lumbar spinal cord slices prepared from mature mice. Ninety percent (nine out of 10) of the recorded cells processed for choline acetyltransferase were found to be cholinergic, confirming their identity as motoneurons. A small number of motoneurons were found to have currents with low-voltage-activated (T-type) characteristics. Pharmacological dissection of the high-voltage-activated current demonstrated omega-agatoxin-TK- (P/Q-type), omega-conotoxin GVIA- (N-type), and dihydropyridine- and FPL-64176-sensitive (L-type) components. A cadmium-sensitive component of the current that was insensitive to these chemicals (R-type) was also seen in these cells. These results indicate that the calcium current in lumbar spinal motoneurons from functionally mature mice is mediated by a number of different channel subtypes. The characterization of these calcium channels in mature mammalian motoneurons will allow for the future study of their modulation and their roles during behaviours such as locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- K P Carlin
- Departments of Surgery and Physiology, University of Manitoba, 730 William Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3E 3J7
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18
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Kreisman NR, Soliman S, Gozal D. Regional differences in hypoxic depolarization and swelling in hippocampal slices. J Neurophysiol 2000; 83:1031-8. [PMID: 10669514 DOI: 10.1152/jn.2000.83.2.1031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Pyramidal neurons in the CA1 region of the hippocampus are highly vulnerable to damage from hypoxia-ischemia, whereas neurons in the CA3 region and the dentate gyrus are more resistant. A similar pattern of vulnerability to loss of synaptic and membrane function occurs in the in vitro hippocampal slice preparation, suggesting that intrinsic factors are important in acute neuronal damage. Simultaneous recordings of DC potential and imaging of changes in light transmittance were made in slices from the middle one-third of the hippocampus to characterize the initiation and spread of depolarization and swelling during hypoxia-aglycemia. Hypoxic depolarization (HD) and associated optical changes were initiated simultaneously in the stratum oriens of the CA1 region and thereafter spread to the stratum radiatum of CA1 and later to the upper (inner) blade of the dentate gyrus. A decrease in light transmittance was associated consistently with depolarization in all regions (n = 22 slices). Investigation of the sequence of activation in intact slices showed that activation of the dentate gyrus arose independently of activation of the CA1 region. This was confirmed by recordings made from minislices in which CA1, CA3, and dentate regions were physically separated. HD and optical changes were never observed in the CA3 region, despite exposure to 40-60 min of combined hypoxia and aglycemia. In contrast, exposure to hypoxia after pretreatment of slices with altered tonicity or ion composition, which triggered episodes of spreading depolarization (SD), provoked depolarization and optical changes simultaneously in both CA1 and CA3 regions. Similarly, pretreatment with agents that cause severe metabolic impairment, such as dinitrophenol (DNP), also rendered the CA3 region vulnerable to subsequent hypoxia. This suggests that the CA3 region in hippocampal slices is normally resistant to HD and only becomes vulnerable after severe impairment of metabolic capacity. The similar order of vulnerability of in vitro and in vivo hippocampus to hypoxia-aglycemia supports the use of the hippocampal slice preparation to investigate early changes potentially contributing to hypoxic-ischemic injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- N R Kreisman
- Department of Physiology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA
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19
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Abstract
T(1)-weighted NMR imaging of the isolated perfused rat hippo-campal slice was used to estimate cell volume fraction. Eight brain slices were studied in artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) using a 600 MHz narrow bore spectrometer and a home built perfusion chamber. Cell volume fraction was calculated as 1 - f(ECS), where f(ECS) is the distribution volume of gadodiamide in the slice. This was determined by measuring the T(1) of the slice before and after perfusion with gadodiamde. A mean cell volume fraction of 0.66 +/- 0. 04 was estimated. The addition of 60 mM mannitol to three of the brain slices produced a 26% decrease in the cell volume fraction. The technique affords a simple means of estimating cell volume fraction and can be extended to produce images reflecting cell density. Magn Reson Med 42:603-607, 1999.
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Affiliation(s)
- D L Buckley
- Center for Structural Biology and the University of Florida Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
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20
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Bui JD, Buckley DL, Phillips MI, Blackband SJ. Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging measurements of water diffusion in the perfused hippocampal slice during N-methyl-D-aspartate-induced excitotoxicity. Neuroscience 1999; 93:487-90. [PMID: 10465431 DOI: 10.1016/s0306-4522(99)00191-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Significant changes in the apparent diffusion coefficient of water are observed in nuclear magnetic resonance images of patients with acute ischemic stroke. However, the underlying mechanisms of these apparent diffusion coefficient changes are still unresolved. To analyse possible mechanisms, this study applies nuclear magnetic resonance imaging on a 14.1 Tesla narrow-bore magnet to quantitatively study water diffusion in individually perfused brain slices following exposure to N-methyl-D-aspartate excitotoxicity. The results indicate that brain slices have at least two distinct diffusing water compartments with apparent diffusion coefficients of 0.96+/-0.10x10(-3) mm2/s and 0.06+/-0.01x10(-3) mm2/s. When excitotoxicity was induced with N-methyl-D-aspartate, there was a significant decrease in the fraction of the fast diffusing water component in the slices (P<0.001). However, neither apparent diffusion coefficient changed significantly. Prior treatment with dizocilpine maleate (MK-801) depressed the effects of N-methyl-D-aspartate (P<0.01, ANOVA). The results demonstrate brain slice compartmental changes resulting from direct receptor stimulation and provide evidence for tissue water redistribution as an important mechanism for changes in apparent diffusion coefficient seen in clinical magnetic resonance imaging. The brain slice preparation affords a well-controlled method to study the mechanisms of tissue nuclear magnetic resonance contrast, bridging the gap between basic nuclear magnetic resonance studies and clinical magnetic resonance imaging. The brain slice model also offers a new way to test the utility of potential anti-stroke drugs using high field nuclear magnetic resonance imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- J D Bui
- Department of Physiology, The Center for Structural Biology, The University of Florida, Gainesville 32610-0245, USA
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21
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Abstract
Ascorbate and glutathione (GSH) are normally concentrated in brain cells at millimolar levels. However, both of these low-molecular-weight antioxidants are washed out of mammalian brain tissue during slice preparation and subsequent incubation. Ascorbate, which is not synthesized in the brain, can be added back to slices by active uptake from the incubation medium. Levels of GSH, on the other hand, are regulated by synthesis rather than uptake, and cannot be readily maintained in slices. Importantly, maintenance of brain slice ascorbate content at at least 50% of that in vivo, prevents the increase in slice water content that normally occurs during incubation. Slices with maintained ascorbate levels also have better histological characteristics than ascorbate-depleted tissue. The medium concentration of ascorbate sufficient to maintain content and inhibit edema formation is 400 microM, which is the normal concentration in brain extracellular fluid. This paper describes methods to maintain ascorbate levels in brain slices, including procedures to minimize oxidation in oxygenated incubation media. Also described is an HPLC analysis for ascorbate and GSH that is based on direct injection rather than extraction of samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Rice
- Departments of Neurosurgery and Physiology and Neuroscience, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, New York 10016, USA.
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Saggau P, Gray R, Dani JA. Optical measurements of calcium signals in mammalian presynaptic terminals. Methods Enzymol 1999; 294:3-19. [PMID: 9916220 DOI: 10.1016/s0076-6879(99)94004-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- P Saggau
- Division of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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23
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Patlak CS, Hospod FE, Trowbridge SD, Newman GC. Diffusion of radiotracers in normal and ischemic brain slices. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 1998; 18:776-802. [PMID: 9663508 DOI: 10.1097/00004647-199807000-00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Diffusion in the extracellular space (ECS) is important in physiologic and pathologic brain processes but remains poorly understood. To learn more about factors influencing tissue diffusion and the role of diffusion in solute-tissue interactions, particularly during cerebral ischemia, we have studied the kinetics of several radiotracers in control and hypoxic 450-microm hippocampal slices and in 1,050-microm thick slices that model the ischemic penumbra. Kinetics were analyzed by nonlinear least squares methods using models that combine extracellular diffusion with tissue compartments in series or in parallel. Studies with 14C-polyethylene glycol confirmed prior measurements of extracellular volume and that ECS shrinks during ischemia. Separating diffusion from transport also revealed large amounts of 45Ca that bind to or enter brain as well as demonstrating a small, irreversibly bound compartment during ischemia. The rapidity of 3H2O entry into cells made it impossible for us to distinguish intracellular from extracellular diffusion. The diffusion-compartment analysis of 3-O-methylglucose data appears to indicate that 5 mmol/L glucose is inadequate to support glycolysis fully in thick slices. Unexpectedly, the diffusion coefficient for all four tracers rose in thick slices compared with thin slices, suggesting that ECS becomes less tortuous in the penumbra.
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Affiliation(s)
- C S Patlak
- Department of Surgery, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 11794-8121, USA
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Newman GC, Hospod FE, Trowbridge SD, Motwani S, Liu Y. Restoring adenine nucleotides in a brain slice model of cerebral reperfusion. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 1998; 18:675-85. [PMID: 9626192 DOI: 10.1097/00004647-199806000-00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Tissue adenine nucleotides are depleted during cerebral ischemia, impeding recovery after reperfusion. Although prior studies have attempted to prevent the initial loss of adenylates, the present study tests the hypothesis that stimulating synthesis of adenine nucleotides, through either adenosine kinase or adenine phosphoribosyltransferase, would result in significant cerebroprotection. To study the effects on neurons and glia directly while avoiding the influence of the cerebral vasculature, hippocampal brain slices were used for the model of transient ischemia with reperfusion. The standard brain slice insult of brief exposure to anoxia with aglycemia was modified based on studies which showed that a 30-minute exposure to air with 1 mmol/L glucose produced a stable, moderate reduction in ATP during the insult and that, 2 hours after return to normal conditions, there was moderate depletion of tissue adenine nucleotides and histologic injury. Treatments with 1 mmol/L adenosine, AMP, or adenine were equivalent in partially restoring adenine nucleotides. Despite this, only adenosine afforded histologic protection, suggesting a protective role for adenosine receptors. There also was evidence for metabolic cycling among adenine nucleotides, nucleosides, and purines. Adenosine may exert direct cerebroprotective effects on neural tissue as well as indirect effects through the cerebral vasculature.
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Affiliation(s)
- G C Newman
- Department of Neurology, State University of New York at Stony Brook 11794-8121, USA
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