The Difference Between The Response To Glutamate Excitotoxicity and The Role Of Ca2+ Channel Blockers in Cortical Neuron and SH-SY5Y Cells Cultures

Cortical neuron and SH-SY5Y cells are widely used in glutamate excitotoxicity studies, but it is unclear which one better reflects this model. Generally, glutamate induces toxicity conditions by leading to L and L/N-Ca2+channels activation and cell death via lethal Ca2+ influx. To evaluate this hypothesis, the effects of L and L/N-Ca2+ channel blockers, lacidipine, and amlodipine under excitotoxic conditions were evaluated. At the same time, in this study, we aimed to determine that these two cell lines better reflect this model. To induce excitotoxicity, cortical neuron and SH-SY5Y cells were incubated with glutamate 10-5 mM. After 30 min incubation with glutamate, different concentration (1, 2 and 4 µg lacidipine and 20, 50 and 100 µM amlodipine) were applied these cells. Possible neuroprotective roles of lacidipine and amlodipine were investigated through cell viability, oxidative stress, and apoptotic alterations. Our results showed that SH-SY5Y cells are the more ideal cell line for oxidative stress-mediated glutamate toxicity. In addition, 4 µg lacidipine and 100 µM amlodipine had significant neuroprotective roles in these cells, but the most protective effect was also determined in SH-SY5Y cells at 100 µM amlodipine. The highest viability rate on cell lines was found at 88,8 % in SH-SY5Y cells treated with 100 μM amlodipine. Results from the TAC, TOS, LDH assays, and flow cytometry analysis were correlated to our MTT results. Taken together, our results indicate that SH-SY5Y cells are more effective at reflecting glutamate-induced excitotoxicity and 100μM amlodipine has a more protective effect in treating this toxicity.