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. 2012 Oct 3;28(5):509–516. doi: 10.1007/s12264-012-1273-z

Sulforaphane protects primary cultures of cortical neurons against injury induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation via antiapoptosis

Xuemei Wu 1, Jing Zhao 2,✉, Shanshan Yu 1, Yanlin Chen 1, Jingxian Wu 1, Yong Zhao 1,✉
PMCID: PMC5561925  PMID: 23054633

Abstract

Objective

To determine whether sulforaphane (SFN) protects neurons against injury caused by oxygenglucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) and, if so, to investigate the possible mechanisms.

Methods

Primary cultures of neurons were prepared from the cerebral cortex of 1-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats. On days 5–6 in vitro, the neurons were exposed to OGD for 1 h, followed by reoxygenation for 24 h. Cells were treated with 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2.5, or 5 μmol/L SFN, with or without 10 μmol/L LY294002, a PI3K-specific inhibitor, during OGD/R (a total of 25 h). After 24-h reoxygenation, MTT was used to assess viability and injury was assessed by Hoechst 33258/propidium iodide (PI) staining; immunofluorescence staining and Western blot were performed to detect molecular events associated with apoptosis.

Results

The MTT assay showed that 1 μmol/L SFN significantly increased viability, and Hoechst 33258/PI staining showed that the numbers of injured neurons were reduced significantly in the SFN group. Furthermore, immunofluorescence staining and Western blot showed that SFN increased Bcl-2 and decreased cleaved caspase-3 levels. Moreover, LY294002 inhibited the phosphorylated-Akt expression evoked by SFN, decreased Bcl-2 expression and increased cleaved caspase-3 expression.

Conclusion

SFN protects neurons against injury from OGD/R and this effect may be partly associated with an antiapoptosis pathway.

Keywords: sulforaphane, oxygen-glucose deprivation, apoptosis, neuroprotection

Contributor Information

Jing Zhao, Phone: +86-23-68485789, FAX: +86-23-68485868, Email: blys01@163.com.

Yong Zhao, Phone: +86-23-68485238, FAX: +86-23-68485868, Email: yangyang741022@sina.com.

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