title: [Inhibitory effects of saikosaponin a on rat hippocampal astrocyte activation in vitro].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of saikosaponin a (SSa) on Glu-activated hippocampal astrocytes of rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Neonatal rat (1-3 days) hippocampal astrocytes were obtained and divided into control group, L-Glu activation group and SSa groups with SSa treatment at 5, 2.5, and 1.25 mg/L. The cell proliferation, cell cycle changes, and expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) after the treatments were assessed with MTT assay, flow cytometry and Western blotting, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In comparison with Glu-activation group, SSa treatment resulted in significant inhibition of the cell proliferation, cell division and GFAP expression in the Glu-activated astrocytes (P < 0.05). SSa at 2.5 mg/L showed the strongest inhibitory effects against astrocyte activation and maintained nearly normal level of astrocyte activation in comparison with the control group (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Glu-induced activation of rat hippocampal astrocytes can be inhibited by SSa, whose antiepileptic effects is probably mediated by inhibition of hippocampal astrocyte activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. xieweizn@fimmu.com
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Zuo-wen
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D009828:Oleanolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012503:Saponins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D012503:Saponins; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D009828:Oleanolic Acid; C025759:saikosaponin D