Figure 6

Astrocytic P2Y₁ receptors are essential for IL-6 production from mixed glial cultures.

(a) The enhancement of Ca²⁺ oscillations in astrocytes in the Ms mixed glial culture is mediated by astrocytic P2Y₁ receptors. MeHg^low (0.1 μM, 15 min treatment) dramatically increased the frequency of astrocytic Ca²⁺ oscillations in WT microglia/WT astrocyte cultures but not in co-cultures of WT microglia and P2Y₁KO astrocytes (n = 98, **p < 0.01 vs. WT microglia/WT astrocytes without MeHg, ^##p < 0.01 vs. WT microglia/WT astrocytes with MeHg^low, one-way ANOVA followed by Fisher's LSD test). (b) Activation of P2Y₁ receptors in astrocytes is essential for IL-6 production in Ms mixed glial cultures. MeHg^low (0.1 μM, 24 h) increased IL-6 production in WT microglia/WT astrocytes but not in WT microglia/P2Y₁KO astrocytes (n = 3, **p < 0.01 vs. WT microglia/WT astrocytes without MeHg, ^##p < 0.01 vs. WT microglia/WT astrocytes with MeHg^low, one-way ANOVA followed by Fisher's LSD test). Cells were serum starved for 24 h before MeHg treatment. Values are the means ± SEM for all groups.