Protective effects of paeoniflorin on cultured cortical neurons of mice

AIM To determine whether paeoniflorin (PF) can increase the survival neurons and provide protection against the excitotoxic effect of kainic acid (KA) on primary cortical cultures. METHODS Primary cultured neurons were dissociated from 15 d old mouse embryo and plated on 24 well culture plates with PF in the medium, neurons in the experimental group were treated with KA(50 μmol·L -1 ) on d 3. Dying cells were identified by trypan blue, phase contrast microscope and immunocytochemistry were used to observe the morphology of the neurons. RESULTS ①Culturing cortical neurons with PF at 20.8 and 41.6 mg·L -1 for 4 d increase the survival of neurons and decreased the death rate of cells.②Damaged neurons induced by cultured with KA (50 μmol·L -1 ) for 30 min showed various changes, such as cell swelling, lacking of dioptre, nucleus shifting to the cell periphery, and higher mortality. While pretreated with PF 20.8 and 41.6 mg·L -1 for 4 d, the cortical neurons were resistant to the injury of KA. CONCLUSION PF can increase the mouse cortical neuronal survival rate, decrease the mortality and protect neurons against KA induced neurotoxicity.