ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of minocycline in promoting the survival of pheochromocytoma (PCI2) cells exposed to oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) and explore the underlying mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>An in vitro cell model of cerebral ischemia was established by OGD for 6 h in PCI2 cells with pretreatment with minocycline or an ERK1/2 inhibitor. At 24 h after OGD injury, the cells were evaluated for cell viability by MTT assay and expressions of heme oxygenase-I (HO-I) and phospholylated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) by Western blotting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The cell viability decreased dramatically following OGD. Pretreatment with minocycline (O.I-IO JJ.mol/L) induced a significant increase in the cell viability after OGD and caused up-regulation of HO-I protein and enhanced ERK1/2 phospholylation, and the effects were especially obvious with 1 JJ.mol/L minocycline and were abolished by inhibition of ERK1/2 activity with UOI26 (IO JJ.mol/L).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Minocycline can protect PCI2 cells against OGD-induced toxicity by up-regulating HO-I protein expression through ERKl/2 signaling pathways.</p>