Time window characteristics of cultured rat hippocampal neurons subjected to ischemia and reperfusion / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore cell death and apoptosis in rat hippocampal neurons at different time points after ischemia, hypoxia and reperfusion injury and to elucidate time window characteristics in ischemia neuronal injury.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Hippocampal neurons were obtained from rat embryo and were cultured in vitro. The ischemia and reperfusion of cultured rat hippocampal neurons were simulated by oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) and recovery. OGD at different time points (0.25 h to 3.0 h) and then the same recovery (24 h) were prepared. Annexin V-PI staining and flow cytometry examined neuron death and apoptosis at different time after injury.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After OGD and recovery, both necrosis and apoptosis were observed. At different times after OGD, there were statistically significant differences in neuron necrosis rate (P < 0.05), but not in apoptosis rate (P > 0.05). At recovery, survival rate of hippocampal neurons further decreased while apoptosis rate increased. Furthermore, apoptosis rates of different time differed greatly (P < 0.05). Apoptosis rate gradually increased with significant difference among those of different time points (P < 0.05). However, 2 h after ischemia, apoptosis rate decreased markedly.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Apoptosis is an important pathway of delayed neuron death. The therapeutic time window should be within 2 h after cerebral ischemia and hypoxia.</p>