Abstract

Ischemic cerebrovascular disease is a major disease in humans. To better study this disease, a good ischemia model of nerve cells is needed. Nerve growth factor (NGF) could induce PC12 cells to become neurons. Oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) could lead to hypoxia and neuronal ischemia. In this study, we used NGF and OGD to stimulate PC12 cells and converted them into neurons in order to establish an ischemia model. After stimulation with NGF (100 ng/ml for 6 days), PC12 cells show a neuron - like function as measured by physiology and biochemistry. After 6 days of NGF stimulation, we performed OGD treatment for 16 h to establish an oxygen glucose deprivation model. The results showed that PC12 cells transformed into cells that looked like neurons and that MAP2 was up-regulated in NGF - treated PC12 cells. Cell apoptosis was found to be up-regulated after NGF stimulation and OGD (5% CO₂ and 95% N₂, 1 mmol/l NaS₂O₄ in sugar - free DMEM for 16 h). A western blot analysis showed that OGD treatment increased the expression of HIF - 1. The apoptosis rate after 16 h of OGD was 19.44%. These results postulate that NGF treatment can be combined with OGD to establish an in vitro model of acute ischemic brain damage.

Key words: Nerve growth factor, oxygen glucose deprivation, PC12 cells, ischemia tolerance model.