title: [Effects of beta-asarone on morphology and cell viability in PC12 cells and cultured rat cortical neurons].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effects of beta-asarone on the morphology and cell viability in PC12 cells and cultured neonate rat cortical neurons.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cultured neonate rat cortical neurocytes were stained immunocytochemically with NSE, GFAP antibodies, respectively; Morphological changes were observed under phase contrast microscope after PC12 cells and cultured rat cortical neurons with beta-asarone of different concentrationfor 24h in vitro, and the cell viability of PC12 and cortical neurons were examined by MTT assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of the cultured neonate rat cortical neurocytes were positively stained with NSE antibody, and positively with GFAP in a less degree; Treatment of PC12 cells with concentrations of 7.5, 15, 30, 60 microg/ml beta-asarone for 24 h could facilitate the proliferation in PC12 cells, 120, 240, 480 microg/ml beta-asarone could inhibit the proliferation inversely, and with the concentration of beta-asarone increasing, the inhibition was enhanced; Treatment of cultured neonate rat cortical neurons with concentrations of 7.5, 15, 30, 60,120 nicrog/ml beta-asarone for 24 h, there were no visible effects on morphology and cell viability, 240 microg/ml beta-asarone could facilitate the proliferation obviously, but 480 microg/ml beta-asarone induced injury on neurons.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  beta-asarone maybe has anti-tumor and protective effects on cultured neurons.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology Laboratory, The First Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou University of TCM, Guangzhou 510405, China.
authors.forename: Yi-zhi
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yong-qi
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Qi-wen
authors.initials: QW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yu-hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Zhong-sheng
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Kuang
mesh_terms: D000081248:Allylbenzene Derivatives; D000818:Animals; D000840:Anisoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000187:drug effects*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D016716:PC12 Cells; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D000081248:Allylbenzene Derivatives; D000840:Anisoles; C012195:asarone