Open AccessBifemelane Protects Cultured Cortical Neurons Against N-Methyl-D-aspartate Receptor-Mediated Glutamate Cytotoxicity
Author(s) -
Akinori Akaike,
Takehiko Maeda,
Toshiaki Kume,
Satoshi Kaneko
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
japanese journal of pharmacology/japanese journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1347-3506
pISSN - 0021-5198
DOI - 10.1254/jjp.76.313
Subject(s) - glutamate receptor , cortical neurons , cytotoxicity , chemistry , nmda receptor , pharmacology , receptor , neuron , neuroscience , biology , biochemistry , in vitro
This study was performed to examine the neuroprotective action of bifemelane against glutamate cytotoxicity in cultured cortical neurons obtained from fetal rats. Cell viability was markedly reduced by a brief exposure to glutamate. Glutamate cytotoxicity was reduced by exposing cultures to bifemelane at concentrations of 1-10 microM for 24 hr prior to glutamate exposure. In contrast, glutamate cytotoxicity was not affected by adding bifemelane to the glutamate-containing-medium without pretreatment. Bifemelane did not affect N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced currents, although the higher concentration (100 microM) of the drug reduced them. These findings suggest that bifemelane protects against glutamate neurotoxicity without affecting NMDA receptors.