Glutamate Released from Glial Cells Synchronizes Neuronal Activity in the Hippocampus

Glial cells of the nervous system directly influence neuronal and synaptic activities by releasing transmitters. However, the physiological consequences of this glial transmitter release on brain information processing remain poorly understood. We demonstrate here in hippocampal slices of 2- to 5-we...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of neuroscience 2004-08, Vol.24 (31), p.6920-6927
Main Authors: Angulo, Maria Cecilia, Kozlov, Andrei S, Charpak, Serge, Audinat, Etienne
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino Acid Transport System X-AG
Animals
Astrocytes - physiology
Cellular/Molecular
Glutamic Acid - physiology
Hippocampus - physiology
Humans
In Vitro Techniques
Life Sciences
Neuroglia - physiology
Neurons and Cognition
Pyramidal Cells - physiology
Rats
Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate
Synaptic Transmission - physiology
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Summary:Glial cells of the nervous system directly influence neuronal and synaptic activities by releasing transmitters. However, the physiological consequences of this glial transmitter release on brain information processing remain poorly understood. We demonstrate here in hippocampal slices of 2- to 5-week-old rats that glutamate released from glial cells generates slow transient currents (STCs) mediated by the activation of NMDA receptors in pyramidal cells. STCs persist in the absence of neuronal and synaptic activity, indicating a nonsynaptic origin of the source of glutamate. Indeed, STCs occur spontaneously but can also be induced by pharmacological tools known to activate astrocytes and by the selective mechanical stimulation of single nearby glial cells. Bath application of the inhibitor of the glutamate uptake dl-threo-beta-benzyloxyaspartate increases both the frequency of STCs and the amplitude of a tonic conductance mediated by NMDA receptors and probably also originated from glial glutamate release. By using dual recordings, we observed synchronized STCs in pyramidal cells having their soma distant by
ISSN:0270-6474
1529-2401
DOI:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0473-04.2004