PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF BAICALIN ON THE OXIDATIVE TOXICITY OF NEURONAL AND ASTROGLIAL CELLS

Song YZ, Yang YJ, Jia YJ

Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China

 

Objective: To explore the effect of baicalin, a flavonoid extracted from the radix of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, on neuronal and astroglial cells viability, and their survival against oxidative injury.

Method: Neuronal and astroglial cells from the forebrains of SD rat pups were cultured, treated with series concentrations of baicalin (2.5~40μM), and cells viability was assayed by MTT, respectively; After preincubation with series concentrations of baicalin (2.5~40μM) followed by treatment with H2O2 (80μM to neuron, and 160μM to astrocytes), MTT assay was performed to determine cell survival.

Results: The viability difference among groups of neuronal cells, or of astroglial cells, was not significant statistically, either (F=0.49, and 1.001, respectively, both P>0.05), when treated with series concentrations of bacalin. After preincubated with bacalin, both neuronal and astrocytic survial against oxidative stress was improved significantly (F=24.384, and 3.752, respectively, both P<0.01), and this protective effect was in a dose-dependent manner.

Conclusions: In the concentration range 2.5~40μM, baicalin was toxic to neither neuronal nor astroglial cells. However, this flavonoid can protect neuron and astrocytes against oxidative stress-induced injury dose-dependently.

 

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