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Updated: Aug 9, 2026
Dissection of Local Ca2+ Signals in Cultured Cells by Membrane-targeted Ca2+ Indicators
Published on: March 22, 2019
Rapid Ca(2+) signaling induced by Bisphenol A in cultured rat hippocampal neurons
Nobuaki Tanabe1, Tetsuya Kimoto, Suguru Kawato
1Department of Biophysics and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo at Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan.
Objectives:
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a typical endocrine disrupter. We investigated the mechanisms of rapid Ca(2+) signaling induced by a low dose BPA application in cultured hippocampal neurons.
Materials And Methods:
The primary culture of hippocampal neurons were prepared from postnatal 3 to 5-day-old rats. Cells were loaded with Calcium Green-1 fluorophore. Ca(2+) imaging and analysis were performed by Argus system.
Results:
The application of BPA at 10-100 nM induced a transient increase in the intracellular Ca(2+) of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-responsive neurons. The Ca(2+) transient occurred within 30 sec after the BPA application. The proportion of BPA-responsive neurons was 9.6 % and 8.5 % of the total NMDA-responsive neurons, respectively, upon 10 nM and 100 nM BPA application. The pre-treatment of neurons with Ca(2+) channel blockers, thapsigargin and nifedipine, considerably decreased the proportion of BPA-responsive neurons to 0.7 % and 3.7%, respectively. The treatment of neurons with an antagonist of estrogen receptor, ICI 182,780, also significantly decreased the proportion of BPA-responsive neurons down to 1.1 %.
Conclusion:
These results suggest that a low dose BPA application rapidly drives the Ca(2+) signaling system via activation of non-genomic pathway including estrogen receptors.
