Evidence map›Paper›PMID 22472648›Full record

ArticleScience signaling2012

Astrocytes modulate neural network activity by Ca²+-dependent uptake of extracellular K+.

Fushun Wang, Nathan A Smith, Qiwu Xu, Takumi Fujita, Akemichi Baba, Toshio Matsuda, Takahiro Takano, Lane Bekar, Maiken Nedergaard

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Science signaling, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 181 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
181citing papers in PubMed
10.7field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

181 citing papers in PubMed, 291 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
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  7. Review
  8. Astrocyte CaBiomolecules · 2026
    Review
  9. Review
  10. Review
  11. Review
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Review
  16. Review
  17. Article
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121 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Fushun WangDivision of Glia Disease and Therapeutics, Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Rochester Medical School, Rochester, NY 14640, USA.
Nathan A Smith
Qiwu Xu
Takumi Fujita
Akemichi Baba
Toshio Matsuda
Takahiro Takano
Lane Bekar
Maiken Nedergaard
Hyogo University of Health Sciences · JPOsaka University · JP

Funding

Failure of metabolite clearance in a model of multi-lacunar infarctsR01NS078167 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER · PI NEDERGAARD, MAIKEN · 2012 to 2016
$1.8M
The glymphatic system, a new concept in glia biologyR01NS078304 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER · PI NEDERGAARD, MAIKEN · 2012 to 2016
$1.7M
ATP as the instigator of inflammatory responses to spinal cord injuryR01NS075177 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER · PI NEDERGAARD, MAIKEN · 2012 to 2016
$1.6M
Astrocytes role in lipid mediated synaptic activityF31NS073390 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER · PI SMITH, NATHAN A · 2011 to 2012
$84k
NINDS NIH HHS F31 NS073390NINDS NIH HHS F31NS073390NINDS NIH HHS NS075177NINDS NIH HHS NS078304NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS075177NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS078167NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS078304
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Astrocytes are electrically nonexcitable cells that display increases in cytosolic calcium ion (Ca²+) in response to various neurotransmitters and neuromodulators. However, the physiological role of astrocytic Ca²+ signaling remains controversial. We show here that astrocytic Ca²+ signaling ex vivo and in vivo stimulated the Na+,K+-ATPase (Na+- and K+-dependent adenosine triphosphatase), leading to a transient decrease in the extracellular potassium ion (K+) concentration. This in turn led to neuronal hyperpolarization and suppressed baseline excitatory synaptic activity, detected as a reduced frequency of excitatory postsynaptic currents. Synaptic failures decreased in parallel, leading to an increase in synaptic fidelity. The net result was that astrocytes, through active uptake of K+, improved the signal-to-noise ratio of synaptic transmission. Active control of the extracellular K+ concentration thus provides astrocytes with a simple yet powerful mechanism to rapidly modulate network activity.

Indexed as

Adenosine TriphosphateAnimalsAnimals, NewbornAstrocytesBiological TransportCalciumCalcium SignalingCells, CulturedExcitatory Postsynaptic PotentialsExtracellular SpaceHippocampusMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMicroscopy, ConfocalNerve NetNeuronsAdenosine TriphosphateCalciumOuabainPotassiumReceptors, G-Protein-CoupledRubidium RadioisotopesSodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase

Identifiers

PMID22472648
PMCPMC3515082
OpenAlexW2028036419

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.