Protective Effect of Cordyceps Sinensis Extract on Rat Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells Injured by Oxygen–glucose Deprivation

Objective: To investigate the protective effect of Cordyceps sinensis extract（CSE）on injury of primary cultured rat brain microvascular endothelial cells（r BMECs） induced by oxygeneglucose deprivation（OGD）.Methods: We isolated and cultured primary r BMECs in order to establish an in vitro OGD model.Cellular activity was detected using a cell counting kit to determine the appropriate dosage. The r BMECs were divided into control, model, low-, mid-, and high-dose(5, 10, 20 μg·m L -1 ) CSE groups under OGD for 6 hours. CSE was dissolved in cell culture medium to the appropriate concentration, passed through a 0.22 mm sterile filter, and administered for 12 hours before and during OGD. Cellular morphology was observed under a microscope. Lactate dehydrogenase level in cultural supernatant, superoxide dismutase activity, and the content of nitric oxide and malondialdehyde in cells were tested by colorimetric methods. Levels of tumor necrosis factor-a and interleukin-1 beta in cells were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results: After 12-hour administration of CSE at the concentration of 5, 10, 20 mg$m Là1 before and during OGD, compared with the model group, the CSE groups obviously alleviated the damage of r BMECs induced by OGD, inhibited the apoptosis and the necrosis of the cells, and improved cellular morphology of r BMECs. Additionally, compared with the model group, CSE also restrained lactate dehydrogenase leakage in hypoxic cells（P ＜.01）, significantly increased superoxide dismutase activity（P ＜.05）, and reduced the levels of nitric oxide, malondialdehyde,tumor necrosis factor-a, and interleukin-1 beta（P ＜.05）.Conclusion: C. sinensis extract plays a significant role in protecting injured primary cultured rBMECs induced by OGD. The mechanism may be related with the increase of cellular antioxidative capacity and anti-inflammatory effect.