Metabotropic P2Y1 receptor signalling mediates astrocytic hyperactivity in vivo in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model

Astrocytic network alterations have been reported in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but the underlying pathways have remained undefined. Here we measure astrocytic calcium, cerebral blood flow and amyloid-β plaques in vivo in a mouse model of AD using multiphoton microscopy. We find that astrocytic hyperactivity, consisting of single-cell transients and calcium waves, is most pronounced in reactive astrogliosis around plaques and is sometimes associated with local blood flow changes. We show that astroglial hyperactivity is reduced after P2 purinoreceptor blockade or nucleotide release through connexin hemichannels, but is augmented by increasing cortical ADP concentration. P2X receptor blockade has no effect, but inhibition of P2Y1 receptors, which are strongly expressed by reactive astrocytes surrounding plaques, completely normalizes astrocytic hyperactivity. Our data suggest that astroglial network dysfunction is mediated by purinergic signalling in reactive astrocytes, and that intervention aimed at P2Y1 receptors or hemichannel-mediated nucleotide release may help ameliorate network dysfunction in AD. Astrocytic network alterations are seen in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) but the underlying mechanisms have remained undefined. Here the authors use in vivo mulitphoton microscopy to monitor spontaneous network activity of astrocytes in a mouse model of AD, and find that astroglial hyperactivity was largely mediated by activation of the purinergic receptor P2Y1.