Figure 3

MeHg^low increases astrocytic Ca²⁺ oscillations in mixed glial cultures via P2 receptor activation.

(a) Typical Ca²⁺ responses in microglia/astrocyte mixed cultures in response to MeHg^low (0.1 μM, 15 min). Ca²⁺ images before (control) and after (MeHg) MeHg^low are shown. Scale bar: 50 μm. (b) The MeHg^low(0.1 μM, 15 min treatment)-evoked increase in the frequencies of Ca²⁺ oscillations seen in astrocytes in the mixed glial cultures, which was suppressed by the P2 receptor antagonist suramin (100 μM, 30 min pretreatment) (n = 110–240, **p < 0.01 vs. astrocytes/microglia without MeHg, ^##p < 0.01 vs. astrocytes/microglia with MeHg^low, one-way ANOVA followed by Fisher's LSD test). Astrocytes in the absence of microglia showed no Ca²⁺ responses to MeHg^low (0.1 μM, 15 min). Values are the means ± SEM for (b).