Abstract: To investigate whether N-acetylcysteine has protective effects on oxygen-glucose deprivation injured cortical astrocytes in rats. Methods The fourth passage of the cortical astrocytes of primary cultured neonate rats was used. Na₂S₂O₄ and sugar free Earle′s solution were used to establish the chemical oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) model, which followed by changing the culture into complete mediums to mimic ischemia/reperfusion injury. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthialzol-2-yl)-2-5 -diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method and the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage method were used for evaluations of cell viability and cell lysis, and the Colorimetric method was used to determine changes of cerebral energy metabolism. Results Compared with the sham-group, the cultured neonate rat cortical astrocytes were subjected to one hour of OGD followed by 24 hours of reperfusion, then the cell viability was decreased and the cell lysis was significantly increased, and the cellular energy metabolism was disordered. Pre-treatment with N-acetylcysteine can dose-dependently reverse these injuries. Conclusion N-acetylcysteine exhibits protective effects on OGD/reoxygenation injuries in rat cortical astrocytes.

Key words: Acetylcysteine, Cerebral cortex, Astrocytes, Oxygen-glucose deprivation, Energy metabolism, Rats, Wistar