Akinori Akaike, Takehiko Maeda, Toshiaki Kume and Satoshi Kaneko (#)
Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-01, Japan
(#) Present address: Yokohama Research Center, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation,
Yokohama 227, Japan
Abstract: This study was performed to examine the neuroprotective
action of bifemelane against glutamate cytotoxicity in cultured cortical
neurons obtained from fetal rats. Cell viability was markedly reduced by
a brief exposure to glutamate. Glutamate cytotoxicity was reduced by exposing
cultures to bifemelane at concentrations of 1 -1 0 microM for 24 hr prior
to glutamate exposure. In contrast, glutamate cytotoxicity was not affected
by adding bifemelane to the glutamate-containing-medium without pretreatment.
Bifemelane did not affect N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced currents,
although the higher concentration (100 microM) of the drug reduced them.
These findings suggest that bifemelane protects against glutamate neurotoxicity
without affecting NMDA receptors.
Keywords: Cerebral cortex, Glutamate, Bifemelane