Fiber optical imaging of astroglial calcium signaling in the respiratory network in the working heart brainstem preparation

Charlotte Tacke; Anne M Bischoff; Ali Harb; Behnam Vafadari; Swen Hülsmann

doi:10.3389/fphys.2023.1237376

Fiber optical imaging of astroglial calcium signaling in the respiratory network in the working heart brainstem preparation

Front Physiol. 2023 Aug 24:14:1237376. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1237376. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Charlotte Tacke¹, Anne M Bischoff¹, Ali Harb¹, Behnam Vafadari¹, Swen Hülsmann¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.

Abstract

The neuronal activity in the respiratory network strongly depends on a variety of different neuromodulators. Given the essential role of astrocytes in stabilizing respiratory network activity generated by neurons in the preBötzinger complex (preBötC), our aim was to investigate astrocytic calcium signaling in the working heart brainstem preparation using fiber-optical imaging. By using transgenic mice that express GCaMP6s specifically in astrocytes, we successfully recorded astrocytic calcium signals in response to norepinephrine from individual astrocytes.

Keywords: brainstem; catecholaminergic signaling; glia; neuronal control of breathing; norephinephrine.

Grants and funding

The work was supported by the “Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft” through personal grants to SH (Hu797/12-1 and 13-1). We acknowledge support by the Open Access Publication Funds of the Göttingen University.