Characterization of Amino Acid Profile and Enzymatic Activity in Adult Rat Astrocyte Cultures.

Characterization of Amino Acid Profile and Enzymatic Activity in Adult Rat Astrocyte Cultures. Neurochem Res. 2016 Feb 25; Authors: Souza DG, Bellaver B, Hansel G, Arús BA, Bellaver G, Longoni A, Kolling J, Wyse AT, Souza DO, Quincozes-Santos A Abstract Astrocytes are multitasking players in brain complexity, possessing several receptors and mechanisms to detect, participate and modulate neuronal communication. The functionality of astrocytes has been mainly unraveled through the study of primary astrocyte cultures, and recently our research group characterized a model of astrocyte cultures derived from adult Wistar rats. We, herein, aim to characterize other basal functions of these cells to explore the potential of this model for studying the adult brain. To characterize the astrocytic phenotype, we determined the presence of GFAP, GLAST and GLT 1 proteins in cells by immunofluorescence. Next, we determined the concentrations of thirteen amino acids, ATP, ADP, adenosine and calcium in astrocyte cultures, as well as the activities of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase and acetylcholine esterase. Furthermore, we assessed the presence of the GABA transporter 1 (GAT 1) and cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB 1) in the astrocytes. Cells demonstrated the presence of glutamine, consistent with their role in the glutamate-glutamine cycle, as well as glutamate and D-serine, amino acids classically known to act as gliotransmitters. ATP was produced and released by t...
Source: Neurochemical Research - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Tags: Neurochem Res Source Type: research