Oxygen-glucose deprivation induces ATP release via maxi-anion channels in astrocytes

ATP represents a major gliotransmitter that serves as a signaling molecule for the cross talk between glial and neuronal cells. ATP has been shown to be released by astrocytes in response to a number of stimuli under nonischemic conditions. In this study, using a luciferin-luciferase assay, we found that mouse astrocytes in primary culture also exhibit massive release of ATP in response to ischemic stress mimicked by oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). Using a biosensor technique, the local ATP concentration at the surface of single astrocytes was found to increase to around 4 μM. The OGD-induced ATP release was inhibited by Gd(3+) and arachidonic acid but not by blockers of volume-sensitive outwardly rectifying Cl(−) channels, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), multidrug resistance-related protein (MRP), connexin or pannexin hemichannels, P2X(7) receptors, and exocytotic vesicular transport. In cell-attached patches on single astrocytes, OGD caused activation of maxi-anion channels that were sensitive to Gd(3+) and arachidonic acid. The channel was found to be permeable to ATP(4−) with a permeability ratio of P(ATP)/P(Cl) = 0.11. Thus, it is concluded that ischemic stress induces ATP release from astrocytes and that the maxi-anion channel may serve as a major ATP-releasing pathway under ischemic conditions.