title: Bifemelane protects cultured cortical neurons against N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated glutamate cytotoxicity.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akaike
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kume
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaneko
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000633:toxicity*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D013481:Superoxides; D018698:Glutamic Acid; C031906:bifemelane