Figure 14.

Astroglia prepared from Nrf2-knock out (KO) mice do not provide neuroprotective effects against dopamine (DA). Mouse neurons that had been cultured without astroglia were damaged after 36-hr exposure to DA (100 µmol/L). Neurons that had been cocultured with (wild-type) WT astroglia using cell inserts and exposed to DA exhibited no damages, while neurons that had been cocultured with Nrf2-knockout (KO) astroglia were severely damaged (a). Scale bar = 100 µm. Mouse neuronal alamarBlue reduction activity was assessed after 36-hr exposure to DA (100 µmol/L) with or without mouse WT astroglial cell inserts (b) or Nrf2-KO astroglial cell inserts (c). alamarBlue reduction activities of neurons were unaltered in the presence of mouse astroglial inserts prepared from wild type at 36 hr. In contrast, alamarBlue reduction activity of neurons with astroglia prepared from Nrf2-KO mice was decreased significantly. Values are the mean ± SD of six wells. *p < .05 (analysis of variance followed by Tukey test for multiple comparisons). ns = not significant.