• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.72-89
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• 2003

To elucidate the neuroprotective effect of Yeoldahanso-tang(YHT) on nerve cells damaged by hypoxia, the cytotoxic effects of exposure to hypoxia were determined by XTT(SODIUM3,3'-{I-[(PHENYLAMINO) CARBONYL]-3,4-TETRAZOLIUM}- BIS (4-METHOXY-6-NITRO) BENZENE SULFONIC ACID HYDRATE), NR(Neutral red), MTT(3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) and SRB(Sulforhodamin B) asssay. The activity of catalase and SOD(Superoxide dismutase) was measured by spectrophometry, and $TNF-{\alpha}$(Tumor cell necrosis $fector-{\alpha}$) and PKC(Protein kinase C) activity was measured after exposure to hypoxia and treatment of YHTWE. Also the neuroprotective effect of YHTWE was researched for the elucidatioion of neuroprotective mechanism. The results were as follows; 1. Hypoxia decreased cell viability measured by XTT, NR assay when cultured cerebral neurons were exposed to 95% N2/5% CO2 for $2{\sim}26$ minutes in these cultures and YHTWE inhibited the decrease of cell viability. 2. H2O2 treatment decreased cell viability measured by MTT, and SRB assay when cultured cerebral neurons were exposed to 1-80 ${\mu}M$ for 6 hours, but YHTWE inhibited the decrease of cell viability. 3. Hypoxia decreased catalase and SOD activity, and also $TNF-{\alpha}$ and PKC activity in these cultured cerebral neurons, but YHTWE inhibited the decrease of the catalase and SOD activity in these cultures. 4. Hypoxia triggered the apoptosis via caspase activation and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Also hypoxia stimulate the release of cytochrome c forom mitochondria. YHTWE inhibited the apoptosis via caspase activation induced by hypoxia. From these results, it can be suggested that brain ischemia model induced hypoxia showed neurotoxicity on cultured mouse cerebral neurons, and the YHTWE has the neuroprotective effect in blocking the neurotoxicity induced by hypoxia in cultured mouse cerebral neurons.