Abstract:
Objective: To investigate the anti-apoptotic effect of purinergic P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) antagonist through p38MAPK (p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase) in primary neuron of oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) model. Methods: The primary neurons in the cerebral cortex of C57BL/6J fetal rats were cultured and the OGD model was established. The primary neurons were divided into control group, OGD 0.5, 1, 2, 3 and 6 h groups. The expression of P2X7R was detected by Western blot. The primary neurons were divided into control group, OGD group and OGD+ inhibitor (BBG or SB203580) group. P2X7R, phosphorylated p38mapK, p38MAPK and activated caspase-3 (Cleaved caspase-3) protein expression were detected by Western blot, and neuronal apoptosis was detected by immunofluorescence staining . Results: The results of Western blot showed that compared with the control group, the expression of P2X7R in primary neurons OGD 1, 2, 3, 6 h was increased (P < 0 05), and the expression of P2X7R was the highest at 3 h. Compared with the control group, the expression of P2X7R, pp38MAPK and Cleaved caspase-3 in OGD group was significantly higher than that in OGD group, while the expression of P2X7R, pp38MAPK and Cleaved caspase-3 in OGD+BBG group was significantly lower than that in OGD+BBG group. Compared with OGD group, the expression of p-p38MAPK and Cleaved caspase-3 in OGD+SB203580 group was down-regulated. Immunofluorescence staining showed that neuronal apoptosis in OGD group was significantly higher than that in control group (p < 0 05), while that in OGD+BBG group was significantly lower than that in OGD group (p < 0 05). Fluorescence intensity ratio analysis showed that compared with the control group, the phosphorylation level of p38MAPK in OGD group was significantly higher than that in control group (p < 0.05and the level of p38MAPK phosphorylation decreased after SB203580 pretreatment (p < 0.05and p < 0.05respectively). Conclusion: P2X7R antagonists play an anti-apoptotic role in primary neuronal OGD model by inhibiting p38MAPK phosphorylation