ATP acting on P2Y receptors triggers calcium mobilization in primary cultures of rat neurohypophysial astrocytes (pituicytes)

The effect of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) on the intracellular Ca2+ concentration (Ca2+]i) of cultured neurohypophysial astrocytes (pituicytes) was studied by fluorescence videomicroscopy. ATP evoked a Ca2+]i increase, which was dose dependent in the 2.5-50 microM range (EC50=4.3 microM). The ATP-evoked Ca2+]i rise was not modified during the first minute following the removal of external Ca2+. Application of 500 nM thapsigargin inhibited the ATP-dependent Ca2+]i increase. Caffeine (10 mM) and ryanodine (1 microM) did not affect the ATP-induced Ca2+]i rise. The pituicytes responded to various P2 purinoceptor agonists with the following order of potency: ATP=ATPgamma-S]=2-MeSATP>/=ADP, where ATPgamma-S] is adenosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) and 2-MeSATP is 2-methylthio-adenosine-5'-triphosphate. Adenosine, AMP, alpha, beta-methylene adenosine-5'-triphosphate (alpha,beta-MeATP), beta, gamma methylene adenosine-5'-triphosphate (beta,gamma-MeATP) and uridine 5'-triphosphate (UTP) were ineffective. The P2 purinoceptor antagonists blocked the ATP-evoked Ca2+]i increase with the following selectivity: RB-2>suramin>PPADS, where RB-2 is Reactive Blue 2 and PPADS is pyridoxal-phosphate-6-azophenyl-2', 4'-disulphonic acid. The ATP-evoked Ca2+]i increase was substantially blocked by pertussis toxin treatment, suggesting that it might be mediated by a pertussis-toxin-sensitive G protein. The phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor U-73122 (0.5 microM) abolished the ATP-evoked Ca2+]i rise, whereas its inactive stereoisomer U-73343 (0.5 microM) remained ineffective. Our results indicate that, in rat cultured pituicytes, ATP stimulation induces an increase in Ca2+]i due to PLC-mediated release from intracellular stores through activation of a pertussis-toxin-sensitive, G-protein-linked P2Y receptor.