Effects of platelet-activating factor on cultured neurons and astrocytes

AIM: To observe the effect of platelet-activating factor (PAF) on cultured neuronal viability and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression in cultured astrocytes. METHODS: Neurons and astrocytes obtained from the brain cortex of the embryo and newborn mice respectively were cultured and purified, and they were divided into the control and experimental groups. PAF was added into the experimental groups at concentrations of 4, 8 and 16 μmol/L. Each group was cultured for 4 h, 24 h and 72 h, respectively. MTT method and immunohistochemistry were used to observe the neuronal viability and GFAP expression in astrocytes, respectively. RESULTS: During different time after adding PAF at different concentrations into cultured neurons and astrocytes, respectively, neuronal viability declined, and the number of astrocytes decreased, but GFAP expression in survival astrocytes increased. The effects were shown to be in a concentration-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: PAF decreases the neuronal viability directly and influences the neuronal survival indirectly by astrocytes.