Nerve growth factor protects the cortical neurons from chemical hypoxia-induced injury.
Previous studies showed that nerve growth factor (NGF) exerts protective effects on cultured neurons against various kinds of damage. However, a recent publication reported that exposure of NGF-treated PC12 cells to physical hypoxia resulted in a higher cell death rate when compared to the untreated controls. In the present study, we therefore investigated the effects of NGF on the hypoxic cortical neurons induced by potassium cyanide (KCN). We demonstrated that NGF at a higher concentration can significantly increase neuronal viability, decrease the release of lactate dehydrogenase and improve cellular morphology in the hypoxic cortical neurons. However, we also found that pretreatment of NGF was not able to completely revise the decreased cell viability and the increased leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) induced by KCN, although the indexes in the neurons treated with NGF and KCN were significantly higher than those in the neurons treated with KCN only. Analysis of the data showed that the incomplete revision of NGF should be not due to the dosage of NGF we used. It might be induced by the inability of NGF to inhibit all injury pathways induced by potassium cyanide.
Zhu
Li
L
Institute for Nautical Medicine and Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, PR China, zhulili65@yahoo.com
Du
Fang
F
Yang
Lei
L
Wu
Xiao Mei
XM
Qian
Zhong Ming
ZM
D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011190:Potassium Cyanide / Q000633:toxicity
D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D011190:Potassium Cyanide