Prostaglandin E2 elevates calcium in differentiated neuroectodermal stem cells

Lipid mediator prostaglandin E-2 (PGE(2)) is an endogenous signaling molecule that plays an important role during early development of the nervous system. Abnormalities in the PGE(2) signaling pathway have been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders. In this study we use ratiometric fura-2AM calcium imaging to show that higher levels of PGE(2) elevate intracellular calcium levels in the cell soma and growth cones of differentiated neuroectodermal (NE-4C) stem cells. PGE(2) also increased the amplitude of calcium fluctuation in the neuronal growth cones and affected the neurite extension length. In summary, our results show that PGE(2) may adversely impact intracellular calcium dynamics in differentiated neuronal cells and possibly affect early development of the nervous system. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.