Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The hippocampal neurons exposed to magnesium-free extracellular solution could develop and express spontaneous recurrent epileptionform discharges. The model can be used as intractable epilepsy cell models in the clinic.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effect of α-asarone on intractable spilepsy cell models.
METHODS: The rat hippocampal neurons were harvested within 24 hours after rat birth. The neurons were identified by immunochemistry and cultured with 7.5, 15, 30, 60, 120 mg/L α-asarone. After 4 hours, the hippocampal neurons were exposed to magnesium-free extracellular solution to establish intractable spilepsy cell models. After 3 hours, the neurons were cultured with medium containing α-asarone for 24 hours. The vitality of hippocampal neurons was detected by thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Following culture with magnesium-free extracellular solution, the vitality of hippocampal neurons was significantly decreased (P < 0.01), and after culture with α-asarone, the vitality of hippocampal neurons was relatively increased. These results demonstrated that α-asarone can alleviate the damage to neurons in intractable spilepsy, exhibiting a protective effect on neurons in a dose-dependent manner.