Astrocytes regulate ultra-slow arteriole oscillations via stretch-mediated TRPV4-COX-1 feedback.

Summary Very-low-frequency oscillations in microvascular diameter cause fluctuations in oxygen delivery that are important for fueling the brain and for functional imaging. However, little is known about how the brain regulates ongoing oscillations in cerebral blood flow. In mouse and rat cortical brain slice arterioles, we find that selectively enhancing tone is sufficient to recruit a TRPV4-mediated Ca2+ elevation in adjacent astrocyte endfeet. This endfoot Ca2+ signal triggers COX-1-mediated “feedback vasodilators” that limit the extent of evoked vasoconstriction, as well as constrain fictive vasomotion in slices. Astrocyte-Ptgs1 knockdown in vivo increases the power of arteriole oscillations across a broad range of very low frequencies (0.01–0.3 Hz), including ultra-slow vasomotion (∼0.1 Hz). Conversely, clamping astrocyte Ca2+ in vivo reduces the power of vasomotion. These data demonstrate bidirectional communication between arterioles and astrocyte endfeet to regulate oscillatory microvasculature activity.