Table 2.
Astrocytic and neuronal ligand-gated ion channels (e.g., glutamate and ATP) remain functional while under the influence of FC
| Condition | (ΔF/F)% | n |
|---|---|---|
| Neurons | ||
| After FC washout | 35.9 ± 7.5 | 30 |
| During FC | 36.1 ± 2.1 | 39 |
| Astrocytes | ||
| After FC washout | 23.9 ± 5.4 | 28 |
| During FC | 20.5 ± 1.2 | 39 |
Bath application of glutamate/ATP combination evoked the same robust peak responses during exposure to FC and after FC washout in both neurons and astrocytes (unpaired t test; p > 0.05). These data suggest that the effects of the glial metabolic blocker FC specifically interfere with astrocytic ability to respond to metabotropic agonists (e.g., SFLLRN-NH2) and that 200 μm FC is not toxic to either neurons or astrocytes.