ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Cell Research (2008): 558-565
© 2008 IBCB, SIBS, CAS All rights reserved 1001-0602/06 $ 30.00
www.nature.com/cr

Maxi-anion channel as a candidate pathway for osmosensitive ATP release from mouse astrocytes in primary culture

Hong-Tao Liu^1,2,3,*, Abduqodir H Toychiev^1,4,*, Nobuyuki Takahashi^1,4, Ravshan Z Sabirov⁵ and Yasunobu Okada^1,4

Correspondence: Yasunobu Okada Tel: +81-564-55-7731; Fax: +81-564-55-7735 E-mail: okada@nips.ac.jp *These two authors contributed equally to this work.

Download as printable (PDF) file Full Text (html)file Search Medline for articles by: Hong-Tao Liu

In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the pathways contributing to ATP release from mouse astrocytes during hypoosmotic stress. We first examined the expression of mRNAs for proteins constituting possible ATP-releasing pathways that have been suggested over the past several years. In RT-PCR analysis using both control and osmotically swollen astrocytes, amplification of cDNA fragments of expected size was seen for connexins (Cx32, Cx37, Cx43), pannexin 1 (Px1), the P2X7 receptor, MRP1 and MDR1, but not CFTR. Inhibitors of exocytotic vesicular release, gap junction hemi-channels, CFTR, MRP1, MDR1, the P2X7 receptor, and volume-sensitive outwardly rectifying chloride channels had no significant effects on the massive ATP release from astrocytes. In contrast, the hypotonicity-induced ATP release from astrocytes was most effectively inhibited by gadolinium (50 μM), an inhibitor of the maxi-anion channel, which has recently been shown to serve as a pathway for ATP release from several other cell types. Thus, we propose that the maxi-anion channel constitutes a major pathway for swelling-induced ATP release from cultured mouse astrocytes as well.

Cell Research (2008) 18:558–565. doi: 10.1038/cr.2008.49; published online 15 April 2008

Keywords: ATP release, swelling, anion channel, astrocyte