Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Girouard H
PROVIDER: S-EPMC2840528 | biostudies-other | 2010 Feb
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
Girouard Hélène H Bonev Adrian D AD Hannah Rachael M RM Meredith Andrea A Aldrich Richard W RW Nelson Mark T MT
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20100202 8
Neuronal activity is thought to communicate to arterioles in the brain through astrocytic calcium (Ca(2+)) signaling to cause local vasodilation. Paradoxically, this communication may cause vasoconstriction in some cases. Here, we show that, regardless of the mechanism by which astrocytic endfoot Ca(2+) was elevated, modest increases in Ca(2+) induced dilation, whereas larger increases switched dilation to constriction. Large-conductance, Ca(2+)-sensitive potassium channels in astrocytic endfeet ...[more]