Inhibitory effect of fangchinoline on excitatory amino acids-induced neurotoxicity in cultured rat cerebellar granule cells

Glutamate receptors-mediated excitotoxicity is believed to play a role in t he pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases. The present study was per formed to evaluate the inhibitory effect of fangchinoline, a bis-benzylisoq uinoline alkaloid, which has a characteristic as a Ca2+ channel blocker, on excitatory amino acids (EAAs)-induced neurotoxicity in cultured rat cerebe llar granule neuron. Fangchinoline (1 and 5 muM) inhibited glutamate (1 mM) , N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA; 1 mM) and kainate (100 muM]-induced neuronal cell death which was measured by trypan blue exclusion test. Fangchinoline (1 and 5 muM) inhibited glutamate release into medium induced by NMDA (1 mM ) and kainate (100 muM), which was measured by HPLC. And fangchinoline (5 m uM) inhibited glutamate [1 mM)-induced elevation of intracellular calcium c oncentration. These results suggest that inhibition of Ca2+ influx by fangc hinoline may contribute to the beneficial effects on neurodegenerative effe ct of glutamate in pathophysiological conditions.