Protective effects of radix astragali against anoxic damages to in vitro cultured neurons.

To study the protective effects of radix astragali against anoxic damages to in vitro cultured neurons in rats, NaCN was used to develop a hypoxic model of in vitro cultured neurons from newborn rat cerebral cortex. The cellular morphology, A value (cell survival number) and effluxes of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and K+ from cells were measured in the radix astragali group and the control group respectively. After 48 h of anoxia, A value was decreased from 0.325 +/- 0.031 before anoxia to 0.145 +/- 0.011, the effluxes of LDH and K+ were increased from 65.80 +/- 2.90 U/L and 5. 23 +/- 0.11 mmol/L before anoxia to 148.80 +/- 8.40 U/L and 7.31 +/- 0.18 mmol/L, respectively. It was found that in the anoxic circumstance in the Radix astragali group, the mophological changes were mild, the effluxes of LDH and K+ were decreased and A value increased as compared with those in the control group. It was suggested that Radix astragali could protect the cultured rat neurons against anoxic damages in the anoxic circumstance.