Aim In order to study the protective effect of caffeic acid on damage induced by aluminum-overload in primary cultured rat hippocampal neuron.Methods Primary cell cultures were obtained from the cerebral hippocampus of Newly born SD rats within 24 h.On the d 7 of neuronal culture, the immunohistory of NSE was used to identify the purity of neuron.There were 5 experimental groups,NaCl(200 μmol·L~(-1))-treated group, AlCl_3-treated group(200 μmol·L~(-1)),and aluminum+caffeic acid(10~(-6) mol·L~(-1),10~(-7) mol·L~(-1) and 10~(-8) mol·L~(-1))-treated groups. HE staining was used to observe the change of neuronal pathomorphology. The cell viability was measured by MTT assay. SOD activity, LDH leakage and MDA contents were also detected.Results The purity of neurons was more than 95%. Aluminum administration induced loss of neurons and damage to dendrite and axon.Compared with that of the control group,the decreased viability of neurons,increased leakage of LDH, decreased activity of SOD and increased contents of MDA were observed in aluminum-treated groups.Compared with that of the model group, the administration of Caffeic acid could significantly blunt the death of the primary cultured hippocampal neurons, and blunt the decrease of neuronal viability and SOD activity and the increase of LDH leakage and MDA contents.Conclusions These results suggest that caffeic acid has an obvious protective effect against neuronal damage induced by aluminum overload in primary cultured neurons. The mechanism of protection might involve the anti-inflammation and anti-oxidative effects of caffeic acid.

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the protective effect of meloxicam on aluminum overload-inducing damage of hippocampal neuron.METHODS:Primary hippocampal neuron attained from new born SD rats was cultured for 7 days.There were 5 groups e.g blank control group (200 ?mol?L-1 NaCl),aluminum model group (200 ?mol?L-1 AlCl3) and meloxicam low-dose (10-8 mol?L-1),medium-dose (10-7 mol?L-1) and high-dose (10-6 mol?L-1) groups.HE staining was used to observe the change of neuronal morphology.The optical densities of cells were measured.The activities of SOD,leakage of LDH and content of MDA were also detected.RESULTS:As compared with control group,the optical density of cells and activity of SOD were decreased and leakage of LDH and content of MDA were increased (P