Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 6, 2489-2494, Copyright © 1986 by Society for Neuroscience
Cytosolic calcium elevation and cGMP production induced by serotonin in a clonal cell of glial origin
A Ogura, K Ozaki, Y Kudo and T Amano
It has been shown recently that astroglial cells of the mammalian CNS
possess receptors for neurotransmitters. In order to analyze what sequences
of cellular events occur upon activation of these glial receptors, we
utilized a 5-HT receptor in a rat clonal cell of glial origin as a model
system. When the C6BU-1 glioma cells were exposed to 5-HT, the cytosolic
Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) was elevated and the cellular content of cGMP
was increased in a dose-dependent manner. 5-HT receptor antagonists and a
Ca2+ entry blocker suppressed the increases in both [Ca2+]i and cGMP. The
magnitude of the cGMP increment depended on the environmental Ca2+
concentration and was totally blocked by Ca2+ depletion. Application of a
Ca2+ ionophore increased [Ca2+]i and cGMP. There was a tendency for
extremely high [Ca2+]i to suppress the cGMP increment. On the contrary,
membrane-permeable cyclic nucleotide analogs failed to increase [Ca2+]i.
These results suggest that the following sequence of events occurs in
5-HT-induced C6BU-1 cells: activation of 5-HT receptors, Ca2+ influx, a
rise in [Ca2+]i, activation of guanylate cyclase, and, finally, activation
of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase.