Morphological changes in cultured astrocytes following exposure to calcium ionophores.

Induced differentiation of cultured astrocytes to a process-bearing morphology has been described with a variety of agents known to increase intracellular cyclic AMP. The ionophores A23187 and ionomycin were found to induce a reversible change in astrocyte morphology to a process-bearing form. Cell death also occurs following exposure to either A23187 or ionomycin. This change in morphology which occurs following exposure to ionomycin in calcium- and serum-containing Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's medium also occurs in the absence of extracellular calcium. These findings suggest a role for other second messengers than cyclic AMP in controlling astrocyte morphology.