Objective: To investigate possible protective effect of maternal immunoglobulin G (IgG) against N-methyl-D-aspartate-mediated neurotoxicity on primary-cultured rat hippocampal neurons and the mechanism of the effect.
Methods: An in vitro system had been developed for the study of hippocampal neurons. Intracellular lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) release was used as a marker to measure the rates of neuronal damage. The cells were stained with Trypan blue to measure the rate of neuronal death.
Results: N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) at a concentration of 50 micromol/L resulted in increased release of LDH and the cell mortality (P < 0.01, respectively). Maternal IgG of different concentration (10 mg/L, 100 mg/L) inhibited NMDA-induced intracellular LDH release (P < 0.01, respectively) and cell mortality (P < 0.05, 0.01, respectively), and larger dose had stronger effect (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: Maternal IgG had protective effect on primary-cultured rat hippocampal neurons injured by NMDA and the effect was dose-dependent.