RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of astragalosides (AST) on the anoxia/reoxygenation (A/R) injured neuron in rat.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Primary cultured rat's hippocampal neurons were made into A/R model cells. The cell viability was detected by MTT assay and lactate dehydrogenase releasing methods; the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitride oxide (NO) in culture supernate were detected; the apoptosis rate of hippocampal neurons after A/R was measured by flow cytometry with double-staining of Hoechst33258 and AnnexinV-PI; and intracellular calcium ion [Ca2+]i was observed with a cofocal laser-scanning microscope and determined by fluorescent probe Fluo-3/AM.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>AST enhanced the cell viability of neurons after A/R injury, increased SOD activity and decreased the MDA and NO contents in supernate, reduced the A/R-induced apoptosis and decreased the calcium overload in neurons.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>AST has the protective effects on A/R injured neurons, the mechanism is possibly related with its anti-oxidation and calcium overload reducing actions.</p>