The Development of Neural Ischemia Tolerance Model Induced by NGF Combined with OGD in PC12 Cells

Stroke is a major disease in humans. To better study this disease, a good ischemia model of nerve cells is needed. Nerve growth factor (NGF) can induce PC12 cells to become neurons. Oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) leads to hypoxia and neuronal ischemia. In this study, we used NGF and OGD to stimulate PC12 cells and convert them into neurons in order to establish an ischemia model. After stimulation with NGF (100ng/ml for 6 d), PC12 cells show a neuron-like function as measured by physiology and biochemistry. After 6 d of NGF stimulation, we performed OGD treatment for 16 hours to establish an oxygen glucose deprivation model. The results showed that PC12 cells transformed into cells that looked like neurons and that MAP2 was up-regulated in NGF-treated PC12 cells. Cell apoptosis was found to be up-regulated after NGF stimulation and OGD (5% CO2 and 95% N2, 1mmol/l NaS2O4 in sugar-free DMEM for 16 h). A western blot analysis showed that OGD treatment increased the expression of HIF-1. The apoptosis rate after 16 hours of OGD was 19.44%. These results may help to show that NGF treatment can be combined with OGD to establish an in vitro model of acute ischemic brain damage.