The effect of rifampicin on the neuronal cell survival in prımary cortical neuron culture after laser axotomy

Abstract

Aim: Neurodegeneration caused by the axonal injury is a widely seen phenomenon in spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. Due to the disintegration of the synaptic connection neurotrophic factors could not be transported retrogradely towards the cell body and the deprivation of the trophic factors lead to the degeneration and death of the injured neuron. Rifampicin is an antibiotic exhibiting several neuroprotective functions in various neurodegenerative conditions. Here we aim to investigate the acute neuroprotective effect of rifampicin in primary cortical neuron culture in which neurons are axotomized by laser axotomy.Methods: Neonatal male mice were used in order to isolate cortical neurons. Isolated primary cortical neurons were cultured. After 24 hours three different rifampicin concentrations (1 μM, 10 μM and 100 μM) were applied to the neurons and after 15 minutes of rifampicin addition, neurons were laser axotomized. Viability of the cells was evaluated by propidium iodide staining after 24 hours of axotomy. Results: Laser axotomy decreases the cortical neuron viability significantly by 80.45%, while rifampicin pre-treatment increases their viability in all three dosages in a statistically significant manner. Conclusion: Rifampicin has an acute neuroprotective effect on the viability of the laser axotomized cortical neurons.

Keywords

• laser axotomy
• rifampicin
• neuronal viability
• primary cortical neuron
• neurotrauma
• lazer aksotomi
• rifampisin
• nöronal canlılık
• primer kortikal nöron
• nörotravma