Icariin protects cerebral neural cells from ischemia‑reperfusion injury in an invitro model by lowering ROS production and intracellular calcium concentration.

Abstract

Ischemia is one of the major causes of stroke. The present study investigated the protection of cultured neural cells by icariin (ICA) against ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury and possible mechanisms underlying the protection. Neural cells were isolated from neonatal rats and cultured in vitro. The cells were subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD-R) as an I/R mimic to generate I/R injury, and were post-OGD-R treated with ICA. Following the treatments, cell viability, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Ca2+ concentration were assessed using Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, flow cytometry, CyQUANT™ LDH Cytotoxicity Assay, H2DCFDA and SOD colorimetric activity kit. After OGD-R, considerable I/R injury was observed in the neural cells, as indicated by reduced cell viability, increased apoptosis and increased production of ROS and LDH (P<0.05). Cellular Ca2+ concentration was also increased, while SOD activity remained unchanged. Post-OGD-R ICA treatments increased cell viability up to 87.1% (P<0.05) and reduced apoptosis as low as 6.6% (P<0.05) in a concentration-dependent manner. The treatments also resulted in fewer ROS (P<0.05), lower extracellular LDH content (440.5 vs. 230.3 U/l; P<0.05) and reduced Ca2+ increase (P<0.05). These data suggest that ICA protects the neural cells from I/R injury in an in vitro model through antioxidation activity and maintaining cellular Ca2+ homeostasis. This function may be explored as a potential therapeutic strategy for ischemia-related diseases after further in vivo studies.