The Damage of High Oxygen to Astrocytes and the Protective Effect of Antioxidants
YANG Hui#, ZHANG Lingxia#, YE Yulu, DONG Zhizhang, CHEN Jieling, LIU Dan, WU Qiuping, ZHENG Suilian*
This study aimed to explore the damage of hyperoxia on astrocytes and the protective effect of antioxidants (N-acetyl-L-cysteine, NAC). Astrocytes were randomly divided into normoxic group, hyperoxic group (6 h, 12 h, 24 h), normoxic NAC group and hyperoxic NAC group (6 h, 12 h, 24 h). After different periods of exposure to hyperoxia, the activity of astrocytes, the changes of mitochondrial membrane potential in cells, the changes of total intracellular ROS (reactive oxygen species), mitochondrial ROS in cells, the expressions of VEGF and VEGFR were detected. The activity of astrocytes decreased significantly after hyperoxic culturing (P<0.05). The total intracellular ROS and mitochondrial ROS significantly increased compared with normoxic group. The ex-pression of VEGF and VEGFR decreased in astrocytes in hyperoxic environment. After the using of the antioxidant NAC, the activity of astrocytes increased at 6 h and 12 h hyperoxia groups (P<0.01), but decreased at 24 h hyper-oxia group (P<0.05). The ROS of astrocytes in the 6 h hyperoxic NAC group and the 12 h hyperoxic NAC group significantly reduced compared with those in the non-antioxidant group, but no significant changes of the ROS were observed in 24 h hyperoxic NAC group. VEGF and VEGFR levels also increased in hyperoxic astrocytes at 6 h and 12 h after the addition of the antioxidant. Astrocytes are damaged under high oxygen conditions and it is related to the duration of high oxygen. However, the use of NAC can save the damage of astrocytes caused by high oxygen in the short term to some extent, suggesting that the antioxidant protection of astrocytes after high oxygen stimulation may be a new therapy of ROP.
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