Interaction of Mechanisms Involving Epoxyeicosatrienoic Acids, Adenosine Receptors, and Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors in Neurovascular Coupling in Rat Whisker Barrel Cortex

Adenosine, astrocyte metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), and epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) have been implicated in neurovascular coupling. Although A2A and A2B receptors mediate cerebral vasodilation to adenosine, the role of each receptor in the cerebral blood flow (CBF) response to neural activation remains to be fully elucidated. In addition, adenosine can amplify astrocyte calcium, which may increase arachidonic acid metabolites such as EETs. The interaction of these pathways was investigated by determining if combined treatment with antagonists exerted an additive inhibitory effect on the CBF response. During whisker stimulation of anesthetized rats, the increase in cortical CBF was reduced by approximately half after individual administration of A2B, mGluR and EET antagonists and EET synthesis inhibitors. Combining treatment of either a mGluR antagonist, an EET antagonist, or an EET synthesis inhibitor with an A2B receptor antagonist did not produce an additional decrement in the CBF response. Likewise, the CBF response also remained reduced by ∼50% when an EET antagonist was combined with an mGluR antagonist or an mGluR antagonist plus an A2B receptor antagonist. In contrast, A2A and A3 receptor antagonists had no effect on the CBF response to whisker stimulation. We conclude that (1) adenosine A2B receptors, rather than A2A or A3 receptors, play a significant role in coupling cortical CBF to neuronal activity, and (2) the adenosine A2B receptor, mGluR, and EETs signaling pathways are not functionally additive, consistent with the possibility of astrocytic mGluR and adenosine A2B receptor linkage to the synthesis and release of vasodilatory EETs.

Astrocyte activation of presynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors modulates hippocampal inhibitory synaptic transmission

In the CNS, fine processes of astrocytes often wrap around dendrites, axons and synapses, which provides an interface where neurons and astrocytes might interact. We have reported previously that selective Ca2+ elevation in astrocytes, by photolysis of caged Ca2+ by o-nitrophenyl-EGTA (NP-EGTA), causes a kainite receptor-dependent increase in the frequency of spontaneous inhibitory post-synaptic potentials (sIPSCs) in neighboring interneurons in hippocampal slices. However, tetrodotoxin (TTX), which blocks action potentials, reduces the frequency of miniature IPSCs (mIPSCs) in interneurons during Ca2+ uncaging by an unknown presynaptic mechanism. In this study we investigate the mechanism underlying the presynaptic inhibition. We show that Ca2+ uncaging in astrocytes is accompanied by a decrease in the amplitude of evoked IPSCs (eIPSCs) in neighboring interneurons. The decreases in eIPSC amplitude and mIPSC frequency are prevented by CPPG, a group II/III metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) antagonist, but not by the AMPA/kainate and NMDA receptor antagonists CNQX/CPP. Application of either the group II mGluR agonist DCG IV or the group III mGluR agonist L-AP4 decreased the amplitude of eIPSCs by a presynaptic mechanism, and both effects are blocked by CPPG. Thus, activation of mGluRs mediates the effects of Ca2+ uncaging on mIPSCs and eIPSCs. Our results indicate that Ca2+-dependent release of glutamate from astrocytes can activate distinct classes of glutamate receptors and differentially modulate inhibitory synaptic transmission in hippocampal interneurons.

Activation of Group I mGluRs Is Necessary for Induction of Long-Term Depression at Striatal Synapses

Activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), which are coupled to G proteins, has important roles in certain forms of synaptic plasticity including corticostriatal long-term depression (LTD). In the present study, extracellular field potential and whole cell voltage-clamp recording techniques were used to investigate the effect of mGluR antagonists with different subtype specificity on high-frequency stimulation (HFS)-induced LTD of synaptic transmission in the striatum of brain slices obtained from 15-to 25-day-old rats. Induction of LTD was prevented during exposure to the nonselective mGluR antagonist (RS)-α-methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine (500 μM). The group I mGluR-selective antagonists ( S)-4-carboxy-phenylglycine (50 μM) and (RS)-1-aminoindan-1,5-dicarboxylic acid (100 μM) prevented induction of LTD when applied before and during HFS. The mGluR1-selective antagonist 7-(Hydroxyimino) cyclopropa[b]chromen-1a-carboxylate ethyl ester (80 μM) also blocked LTD induction. Unexpectedly, the mGluR5-selective antagonist 2-methyl-6-(phenylethyl)-pyridine (10 μM) also prevented LTD induction. The group II mGluR antagonist LY307452 (10 μM) did not block LTD induction at corticostriatal synapses, but LY307452 was able to block transient synaptic depression induced by the group II agonist LY314593. None of the antagonists had any effect on basal synaptic transmission at the concentrations used, and mGluR antagonists did not reverse LTD when applied beginning 20 min after HFS. These results suggest that both group I mGluR subtypes contribute to the induction of LTD at corticostriatal synapses.

Synaptically Activated Calcium Responses in Dendrites of Hippocampal Oriens-Alveus Interneurons

Activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) by agonists increases intracellular calcium levels ([Ca2+]i) in interneurons of stratum oriens/alveus (OA) of the hippocampus. We examined the mechanisms that contribute to dendritic Ca2+ increases in these interneurons during agonist activation of mGluRs and during synaptically evoked burst discharges, using simultaneous whole cell recordings and confocal Ca2+ imaging in rat hippocampal slices. First, we found that the group I/II mGluR agonist 1S,3R-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (ACPD; 100 μM) increased dendritic [Ca2+]i and depolarized OA interneurons. Dendritic Ca2+ responses were correlated with membrane depolarizations, but Ca2+ responses induced by ACPD were larger in amplitude than those elicited by equivalent somatic depolarization. Next, we used linescans to measure changes in dendritic [Ca2+]i during synaptically evoked burst discharges and somatically elicited repetitive firing in disinhibited slices. Dendritic Ca2+ signals and electrophysiological responses were stable over repeated trials. Peak Ca2+responses were linearly related to number and frequency of action potentials in burst discharges for both synaptic and somatic stimulation, but the slope of the relationship was steeper for responses evoked somatically. Synaptically evoked [Ca2+]i rises and excitatory postsynaptic potentials were abolished by antagonists of ionotropic glutamate receptors. The group I/II mGluR antagonist S-α-methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine (500 μM) produced a significant partial reduction of synaptically evoked dendritic Ca2+ responses. The mGluR antagonist did not affect synaptically evoked burst discharges and did not reduce either Ca2+ responses or burst discharges evoked somatically. Therefore ionotropic glutamate receptors appear necessary for synaptically evoked dendritic Ca2+ responses, and group I/II mGluRs may contribute partially to these responses. Dendritic [Ca2+]i rises mediated by both ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors may be important for synaptic plasticity and the selective vulnerability to excitotoxicity of OA interneurons.