A novel cognitive impairment mechanism that astrocytic p-connexin 43 promotes neuronic autophagy via activation of P2X7R and down-regulation of GLT-1 expression in the hippocampus following traumatic brain injury in rats

• Astrocytic p-CX43 induced spatial memory deficits and LTP impairment.
• Neuronic autophagy also induced spatial memory deficits and LTP impairment.
• Astrocytic p-CX43 could activate neuronic autophagy in the hippocampus.
• Astrocytic p-CX43 promoted neuronic autophagy by activation of P2X7R and down-regulation of GLT-1 expression.
• p-CX43 activated P2X7R whereas had no effect on P2X7 expression in the hippocampus.

Connexin 43 (Cx43) is one of the major gap junction proteins in astrocytes. Our previous studies reported that astrocytic phosphorylated Cx43 (p-CX43) regulated neuronic autophagy levels in the rat hippocampus after traumatic brain injury (TBI). In this study, we explored the underlying molecular mechanism by which gap junctional intercellular communication influenced neuronic autophagy and therefore initiated cognitive and memory impairments after TBI. The gap junctional blocker carbenoxolone (CBX) or autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) reduced latencies, as compared to TBI rats. Similarly, CBX or 3-MA restored long-term potentiation (LTP), relative to TBI hippocampal slices. Immunoblotting analysis showed that the expression of autophagy-related gene Beclin-1 in the hippocampus post-TBI were decreased in response to treatment with CBX, the P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) antagonist Oxidized ATP (OxATP) or ceftriaxone (Cef) which increased the expression and activity of the glutamate transporter (GLT-1) in the central nervous system (CNS). Moreover, CBX or OxATP pretreatment increased GLT-1 level in the rat hippocampus after TBI. However, CBX pretreatment suppressed P2X7R expression whereas maintained P2X7 level post-TBI. Confocal images revealed that p-CX43, P2X7 and GLT-1 strongly colocalized with glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Taken together, these results implied that Cx43, might induce neuronic autophagy by activation of P2X7R and reduce the expression of GLT-1 in the hippocampus, promoting TBI-induced cognitive deficits repair. Therefore, control of this communication may be serve as therapeutic strategies for intervention against TBI.