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Effects of Nerve Growth Factor on the Glutamate-and Hydrogen Peroxide-induced Elevation of free Ca2+ Levels in Isolated Brain Cells from Neonatal Rats

Wu Junfang, Zhang Juntian   

  1. Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Materia Medica,Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union MedicalCollege, Beijing 100050
  • Received:1997-10-09 Revised:1997-12-05 Online:1999-03-15 Published:1999-03-15

Abstract: The effects of nerve growth factor (NGF) on glutamate-and hydrogen peroxideinduced elevation of intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in isolated brain cells from neonatal rats were studied. [Ca2+]i was measured by calcium fluorescent indicator Fura 2-AM in a spectrofluorophotometer. The results showed that the resting [Ca2+]i was 208±22 nmol·L-1 (When the brain cells were incubated in Hanks' solution containing Ca2+ 1.3 nmol·L-1). NGF did not alter the resting [Ca2+]i (in brain cells). NGF 1, 3, 10, 30 and 100 μg·L-1 dose-dependently attenuatedglutamate (0.5 mmol·L-1) and hydrogen peroxide (0.05 mmol·L-1)-induced elevation of [Ca2+]i by 10%, 18%, 32%, 44%, 62% and 14%, 30%, 39%, 49%, 65% and their IC50 were 42.5 and 27.3 (95% confidence limits: 28.7-71.5 and 18.1-46.5) μg·L-1 respectively. These results indicate that NGF protects cortical neurons against glutamate toxicity and oxidative insult via reducing the elevation of [Ca2+]i may be one of the mechanisms of protective effect.

Key words: Nerve growth factor, Glutamate, Hydrogen peroxide, Fura-2, Intracellular free Ca2+

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