Glial Cell Calcium Signaling Mediates Capillary Regulation of Blood Flow in the Retina.

UNLABELLED: The brain is critically dependent on the regulation of blood flow to nourish active neurons. One widely held hypothesis of blood flow regulation holds that active neurons stimulate Ca(2+) increases in glial cells, triggering glial release of vasodilating agents. This hypothesis has been challenged, as arteriole dilation can occur in the absence of glial Ca(2+) signaling. We address this controversy by imaging glial Ca(2+) signaling and vessel dilation in the mouse retina. We find that sensory stimulation results in Ca(2+) increases in the glial endfeet contacting capillaries, but not arterioles, and that capillary dilations often follow spontaneous Ca(2+) signaling. In IP3R2(-/-) mice, where glial Ca(2+) signaling is reduced, light-evoked capillary, but not arteriole, dilation is abolished. The results show that, independent of arterioles, capillaries actively dilate and regulate blood flow. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that glial Ca(2+) signaling regulates capillary but not arteriole blood flow. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: We show that a Ca(2+)-dependent glial cell signaling mechanism is responsible for regulating capillary but not arteriole diameter. This finding resolves a long-standing controversy regarding the role of glial cells in regulating blood flow, demonstrating that glial Ca(2+) signaling is both necessary and sufficient to dilate capillaries. While the relative contributions of capillaries and arterioles to blood flow regulation remain unclear, elucidating the mechanisms that regulate capillary blood flow may ultimately lead to the development of therapies for treating diseases where blood flow regulation is disrupted, including Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and diabetic retinopathy. This finding may also aid in revealing the underlying neuronal activity that generates BOLD fMRI signals.

Mechanisms Mediating Functional Hyperemia in the Brain.

Neuronal activity within the brain evokes local increases in blood flow, a response termed functional hyperemia. This response ensures that active neurons receive sufficient oxygen and nutrients to maintain tissue function and health. In this review, we discuss the functions of functional hyperemia, the types of vessels that generate the response, and the signaling mechanisms that mediate neurovascular coupling, the communication between neurons and blood vessels. Neurovascular coupling signaling is mediated primarily by the vasoactive metabolites of arachidonic acid (AA), by nitric oxide, and by K+. While much is known about these pathways, many contentious issues remain. We highlight two controversies, the role of glial cell Ca2+ signaling in mediating neurovascular coupling and the importance of capillaries in generating functional hyperemia. We propose signaling pathways that resolve these controversies. In this scheme, capillary dilations are generated by Ca2+ increases in astrocyte endfeet, leading to production of AA metabolites. In contrast, arteriole dilations are generated by Ca2+ increases in neurons, resulting in production of nitric oxide and AA metabolites. Arachidonic acid from neurons also diffuses into astrocyte endfeet where it is converted into additional vasoactive metabolites. While this scheme resolves several discrepancies in the field, many unresolved challenges remain and are discussed in the final section of the review.

Ischemia-induced spreading depolarization in the retina.

Cortical spreading depolarization is a metabolically costly phenomenon that affects the brain in both health and disease. Following severe stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, or traumatic brain injury, cortical spreading depolarization exacerbates tissue damage and enlarges infarct volumes. It is not known, however, whether spreading depolarization also occurs in the retina in vivo. We report now that spreading depolarization episodes are generated in the in vivo rat retina following retinal vessel occlusion produced by photothrombosis. The properties of retinal spreading depolarization are similar to those of cortical spreading depolarization. Retinal spreading depolarization waves propagate at a velocity of 3.0 ± 0.1 mm/min and are associated with a negative shift in direct current potential, a transient cessation of neuronal spiking, arteriole constriction, and a decrease in tissue O2 tension. The frequency of retinal spreading depolarization generation in vivo is reduced by administration of the NMDA antagonist MK-801 and the 5-HT(1D) agonist sumatriptan. Branch retinal vein occlusion is a leading cause of vision loss from vascular disease. Our results suggest that retinal spreading depolarization could contribute to retinal damage in acute retinal ischemia and demonstrate that pharmacological agents can reduce retinal spreading depolarization frequency after retinal vessel occlusion. Blocking retinal spreading depolarization generation may represent a therapeutic strategy for preserving vision in branch retinal vein occlusion patients.