Acta Anatomica Sinica

AAS ›› 2015, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (1): 25-31.doi: 10.16098/j.issn.0529-1356.2015.01.005

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Protective effects of 13-methyl tetradecanoic acid on the apoptosis of rat embryonic cortical neurons and the morphological damage induced by oxygen paradox

YU Juan 1* HU Gui-fang1 WENG Sheng-mei2 CHAO Ping1   

  1. 1. Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology of Basic Medical College;2. Department of Pharmacology of Pharmacy College, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350004, China
  • Received:2014-09-26 Revised:2014-11-07 Online:2015-02-06 Published:2015-02-06
  • Contact: YU Juan E-mail:tune9@163.com

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the protective effect of 13-methyltetradecanoic acid(13-MTD) on the apoptosis and morphological damage of primary cultured rat embryonic cortical neurons induced by the oxygen paradox. Methods Primary culturing rat embryonic cortical neurons were identified by NSE immunefluorescence. They were randomly divided into normal control group, model group and the different doses of 13-MTD groups. Each group contained 6 subholes. The model of oxygen paradox of oxygenglucose deprivation for 3 hours/reperfusion for 24 hours (OGD 3h/R 24h) was made. 13MTD 5mg/L, 10mg/L, 20mg/L, 40mg/L were administered immediately after reperfusion. An inverted phase contrast microscope was used to observe the danamic morphology of the cells. Sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay was applied to detect the cellular survival rate. Acridine orange/ethidium bromide(AO/EB) double staining was adopted to observe the apoptotic morphology of neurons. The transmission electron microscope was adopted to observe the changes of ultrastructure in primary cultured rat embryonal cerebral cortical neurons.Results Compared with the normal control group, the model group showed that the pathological damage was apparent, the nerve cell survival rate decreased significantly(P<0.01), the neuron apoptosis rate was increased dramatically (P<0.01), and the ultrastructure of neurons was injured seriously. The nuclear chromatin was focused on the surrounding or condensed into squares, the cytoplasmic organelles reduced or even disappeared significantly, mitochondria was swelling and its crests was break and even disappeared. Compared with the model group, different doses of 13-MTD improved the above changes significantly(P<0.05, P<0.01), the neuronal morphology and its ultrastructural damage were restored with a dose-dependent manner, and 13-MTD 20μg/ml was improved more significant(P<0.01). Conclusion 13-MTD has obvious protective effects on the rat embryonic cortical neuron damage induced by oxygen paradox, which may act through the improvement of nerve cell morphology and mitochondrial ultrastructure damage, thereby decreasing neuronal apoptosis and increasing the survival rate of neurons.

Key words: 13-Methyl tetradecanoic acid, Oxygen paradox, Ultrastructure injury, Cortical neuron, Immunofluorescence, Rat