ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the effect of rhynchophylline on mRNA expression of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2 ) and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor 2B (NR2B) after astrocyte oxygen-glucose deprivation. Methods The subcultured third generation astrocytes from the hippocampus were inoculated into 6-well plates, and they were divided into blank control group, hypoxia-ischemia group,low-dose rhynchophylline group (0. 02 mg/ml) and high-dose rhynchophylline group (0. 2 mg/ml) after the cells were attached to the wall and grew out protrusion. The total RNAs in each group were extracted.Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression levels of EAAT2 and NR2B mRNA in astrocytes of each group. Results Compared with the blank control group, the expression levels of NR2B and EAAT2 mRNA in astrocytes of the ischemia-hypoxia group were significantly higher (all P < 0. 05 ). The expression levels of NR2B and EAAT2 mRNA in the low-dose rhynchophylline group were lower than those in ischemia-hypoxia group, but there was no significant difference. The expression levels of NR2B and EAAT2 mRNA in the high-dose rhynchophylline group were significantly lower than the ischemia-hypoxia group and the low-dose rhynchophylline group (all P < 0. 05).Conclusion The expression of EAAT2 and NR2B mRNA in astrocytes of hippocampus cultured in vitro was significantly increased after ischemia and hypoxia, and rhynchophylline intervention could significantly reduce its expression in a concentration dependent manner.