Cited by 204Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration MechanismsNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchAdenosine and Purinergic Signaling

Norepinephrine modulates the motility of resting and activated microglia via different adrenergic receptors

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Gyoneva, Stefka, Traynelis, Stephen F.·2013·Journal of Biological Chemistry

Abstract

Microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS), monitor the brain for disturbances of tissue homeostasis by constantly moving their fine processes. Microglia respond to tissue damage through activation of ATP/ADP receptors followed by directional process extension to the damaged area. A common feature of several neurodegenerative diseases is the loss of norepinephrine, which might contribute to the associated neuroinflammation. We carried out a high resolution analysis of the effects of norepinephrine (NE) on microglial process dynamics in acute brain slices from mice that exhibit microglia-specific enhanced green fluorescent protein expression. Bath application of NE to the slices resulted in significant process retraction in microglia. Analysis of adrenergic receptor expression with quantitative PCR indicated that resting microglia primarily express β 2 receptors but switch expression to α 2A receptors under proinflammatory conditions modeled by LPS treatment. Despite the differential receptor expression, NE caused process retraction in both resting and LPS-activated microglia cultured in the gelatinous substrate Matrigel in vitro . The use of subtype-selective receptor agonists and antagonists confirmed the involvement of β 2 receptors in mediating microglial process dynamics in resting cells and α 2A receptors in activated cells. Co-application of NE with ATP to resting microglia blocked the ATP-induced process extension and migration in isolated microglia, and β 2 receptor antagonists prolonged ATP effects in brain slice tissues, suggesting the presence of cross-talk between adrenergic and purinergic signaling in microglia. These data show that the neurotransmitter NE can modulate microglial motility, which could affect microglial functions in pathogenic situations of either elevated or reduced NE levels. Background: Microglia respond to cell death by extending their processes toward ATP released at the site of damage. Results: Norepinephrine induces process retraction in resting and activated microglia through β 2 and α 2A receptors, respectively. Conclusion: Norepinephrine alters the ability of microglia to respond to ATP. Significance: Adrenergic receptor signaling might alter the ability of microglia to detect and respond to tissue damage in vivo .

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Crossref · 10.1074/jbc.m113.458901

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Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Guanfacine's protective effects may involve anti-inflammatory actions through α2A-AR on glia.

    “guanfacine’s protective effects may involve anti-inflammatory actions through α2A-AR on glia”

    From Guanfacine’s mechanism of action in treating prefrontal cortical disorders: Successful translation across species (2020) · cites this paper as Gyoneva & Traynelis, 2013

    The Introduction says norepinephrine may have anti-inflammatory effects in microglia, and the Results report increased α2A receptor expression in activated microglia and α-receptor involvement in their response to norepinephrine (page numbers unavailable). The paper does not establish that guanfacine has protective effects or that α2A-mediated anti-inflammatory action explains them; its receptor experiments concern microglial motility. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • α2A-AR stimulation deactivates microglia and has anti-inflammatory actions.

    “α2A-AR stimulation deactivates microglia and thus has anti-inflammatory actions.”

    From Guanfacine’s mechanism of action in treating prefrontal cortical disorders: Successful translation across species (2020) · cites this paper as Gyoneva & Traynelis, 2013

    The Results (page unavailable) show that an α2-selective agonist reduced process ramification in LPS-activated microglia, consistent with α2A receptor involvement. The paper studies motility; it does not show that α2A stimulation deactivates microglia or produces an anti-inflammatory effect. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • β-AR stimulation activates microglia and astrocytes.

    “Microglia and astrocytes are activated by β-AR stimulation, while activated microglia are deactivated by α2A-AR stimulation102.”

    From Stress weakens prefrontal networks: molecular insults to higher cognition (2015) · cites this paper as [102]

    The Abstract (page unavailable) reports that β2 receptors mediate changes in the process dynamics of resting microglia, specifically process retraction. It does not establish that β-AR stimulation activates microglia as an inflammatory state, and it provides no finding that it activates astrocytes. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • α2A-AR stimulation deactivates activated microglia.

    “Microglia and astrocytes are activated by β-AR stimulation, while activated microglia are deactivated by α2A-AR stimulation102.”

    From Stress weakens prefrontal networks: molecular insults to higher cognition (2015) · cites this paper as [102]

    The Results (page not available) show that norepinephrine causes process retraction in LPS-activated microglia and that an α-receptor antagonist blocks this effect; receptor-expression results implicate α2A. The paper measures process motility, not reversal of the cells’ activated state, so “deactivates” overstates its finding. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • α2A-AR are expressed on activated microglia.

    “α2A-AR are also expressed on activated microglia”

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Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. [27]27. Jung, S. ∙ Aliberti, J. ∙ Graemmel, P. ... Analysis of fractalkine receptor CX3CR1 function by targeted deletion and green fluorescent protein reporter gene insertion Mol. Cell. Biol. 2000; 20:4106-4114 Crossref Scopus (2049) PubMed Google Scholar
  2. [40]40. Prinz, M. ∙ Häusler, K.G. ∙ Kettenmann, H. ... β-Adrenergic receptor stimulation selectively inhibits IL-12p40 release in microglia Brain Res. 2001; 899:264-270 Crossref Scopus (44) PubMed Google Scholar
  3. [50]50. Eason, M.G. ∙ Kurose, H. ∙ Holt, B.D. ... Simultaneous coupling of α2-adrenergic receptors to two G-proteins with opposing effects J. Biol. Chem. 1992; 267:15795-15801

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Authors
Gyoneva, S., & Traynelis, S. F.
Affiliations
Emory University (US)
Corresponding author
Gyoneva, Stefka
Venue
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2013-05
Volume
288
Issue
21
Pages
15291-15302
ISSN
0021-9258 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2008810019
Cited by
204
References
64
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 2
FWCI
6.55
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Biological Chemistry (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (T32GM008602)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (F31NS076215, P50NS071669)
  • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (5T32ES12870, T32ES012870)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Physiology › Adenosine and Purinergic Signaling
Keywords
norepinephrine, microglia, microglial motility, adrenergic receptors, beta2-adrenergic receptor, alpha2A-adrenergic receptor, purinergic signaling, microglial activation, lipopolysaccharide, neuroinflammation, neurodegenerative diseases
MeSH terms
Adenosine Triphosphate, Adrenergic alpha-Agonists, Animals, Cell Movement, Cells, Cultured, Mice, Transgenic, Norepinephrine, Signal Transduction, Microglia, Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2, Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2, Mice

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