Astrocyte Activation Modulates Neural Network Activity of Primary Hippocampal Cell Cultures in Vitro

The role of astrocytes in modulating neural network activity is a topic of great interest that is still not fully understood. In this study, optogenetic methods were employed to selectively activate astrocytes in primary hippocampal cell cultures, aiming to investigate the impact of astrocytes on bioelectric neural network activity. To achieve astrocyte activation, the AAV—GFAP—ChR2—eYFP—WPRE viral vector was utilized to express the ionotropic channel rhodopsin—2 (ChR2) specifically in astrocytes. By employing multielectrode arrays, the study demonstrated that light stimulation of astrocytic ChR2 led to an increase in the number of spikes within a burst and the occurrence of larger network bursts. These changes in network activity returned to their original levels within two hours after stimulation. Additionally, a slight reduction in spontaneous bioelectrical activity in the cultures was observed 24 hours post—stimulation.