Glutaminergic responses of neuropile glial cells and Retzius neurones in the leech central nervous system.
Research article published in Brain research (1990)
Abstract
The effects of glutaminergic agonists on neuropile glial cells and on Retzius neurones in the central nervous system (CNS) of the leech, Hirudo medicinalis were investigated using double-barrelled ion-sensitive microelectrodes. In both types of cells, bath-application of L-glutamate (Glu), kainate (Ka) and quisqualate (Qui) elicited substantial membrane depolarizations which were accompanied by increases of the intracellular Na+ activity aiNa and by concomitant decrease of the intracellular K+ activity aiK. In the glial cells, these alterations of aiNa and aiK were preceded by a transient decrease of aiNa and an increase of aiK upon administration of Ka and Qui. In both glial cells and neurones, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) did not affect Em, aiK and aiNa. As found for Ka, the neuronal as well as the glial responses to glutaminergic agonists persisted during inhibition of synaptic transmission in high Mg2+, low Ca2+ solutions. The results indicate that leech neuropile glial cells have a Ka/Qui-preferring non-NMDA glutamate receptor similar to that in the Retzius neurones.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Summary
The effects of glutaminergic agonists on neuropile glial cells and on Retzius neurones in the central nervous system (CNS) of the leech, Hirudo medicinalis were investigated using double-barrelled ion-sensitive microelectrodes. In both types of cells, bath-application of L-glutamate (Glu), kainate...
Why This Matters for Hirudotherapy
This in-vitro electrophysiology study used double-barrelled ion-sensitive microelectrodes to characterize glutamatergic responses in neuropile glial cells and Retzius neurones of the Hirudo medicinalis CNS, finding that both cell types express kainate/quisqualate-preferring non-NMDA glutamate receptors and that NMDA had no effect. The findings define basic neurotransmitter receptor pharmacology in leech neural and glial cells. For ASH's domain, this is foundational leech neurobiology with no direct bearing on hirudotherapy or the salivary secretome; the relevance is limited to understanding cellular physiology of the leech itself.
Citation
Glutaminergic responses of neuropile glial cells and Retzius neurones in the leech central nervous system.
Dörner et al. · Brain research, 1990
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