Astrocyte-to-neuron signaling in response to photostimulation with a femtosecond laser

作者：Zhao, Yuan; Liu, Xiuli; Zhou, Wei; Zeng, Shaoqun^*

来源：Applied Physics Letters, 2010, 97(6): 063703.

DOI：10.1063/1.3478452

• bioelectric phenomena
• biological effects of laser radiation
• biomembrane transport
• cellular effects of radiation
• high-speed optical techniques
• neurophysiology

Conventional stimulation techniques used in studies of astrocyte-to-neuron signaling are invasive or dependent on additional electrical devices or chemicals. Here, we applied photostimulation with a femtosecond laser to selectively stimulate astrocytes in the hippocampal neural network, and the neuronal responses were examined. The results showed that, after photostimulation, cell-specific astrocyte-to-neuron signaling was triggered; sometimes the neuronal responses were even synchronous. Since photostimulation with a femtosecond laser is noninvasive, agent-free, and highly precise, this method has been proved to be efficient in activating astrocytes for investigations of astrocytic functions in neural networks.

• 出版日期2010-8-9
• 单位华中科技大学