Praeruptorin C (Pra-C), one of the principal bioactive components derived from the root of Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn, has been widely used as an antioxidant and a calcium antagonist to treat diseases. The present study investigated the protective effect of Pra-C on cultured cortical neuron injury induced by glutamate. After challenge with 200μM N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) for 30min, loss of cell viability and excessive apoptotic cell death were observed in cultured cortical neurons. Pra-C conferred protective effects against loss of cellular viability in a concentration-dependent manner. Pra-C also significantly inhibited neuronal apoptosis induced by NMDA exposure by reversing intracellular Ca(2+) overload and balancing Bcl-2 and Bax expression. Furthermore, Pra-C significantly reversed the upregulation of GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors by exposure to NMDA but did not affect the expression of GluN2A-containing NMDA receptors. These findings suggest that Pra-C partially protects cortical neurons by inhibiting the expression of GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors and regulating the Bcl-2 family.
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