Figure 2.

Sulfated steroid-induced calcium transients depend on extracellular Ca²⁺. (A) Calcium responses of individual neurons to single sulfated steroids (200 μM) are shown. All tested neurons, in both MOE and VNO, showed no response after 3 min incubation in Ca²⁺-free bath solution. After 3 min of washout, all responses recovered. (B) Mean calcium responses (±SEM), expressed as percentage of control (MOE/P8168, 9 cells, 2 slices; VNO/P8168, 9 cells, 2 slices; MOE/E0588, 9 cells, 6 slices) are shown in standard (colored columns) and Ca²⁺-free bath solution (gray columns; 3 min after application of Ca²⁺-free bath solution). All responses were virtually abolished in Ca²⁺-free bath solution (^**p < 0.01; paired Student's t-test).