[Protection of ebselen on oxygen free radical-induced lipid peroxidation damage of cultured rat cortical neuron and cortical mitochondria].

Ebselen (2-phenyl-1, 2-benzisoselenanzol-3 (2H) one, C13 H9NOSe) is a seleno-organic anti-oxidant compound. In this study, the effect of ebselen on lipid peroxidation damage induced by O2.- and .OH in vitro, of cultured rat cortical neuron and cortical mitochondria was studied. When neuron was exposed to hypoxanthine/xathine oxidase system and vitamin C/CuSO4 system, obvious damage was detected: lactic dehydrogenase(LDH) was released and TBARS content increased. Ebselen (10, 25, 50 mumol.L-1) reduced LDH efflux induced by O2.- and .OH in a dose-dependent manner. As for the TBARS content, from 5 mumol.L-1 to 50 mumol.L-1, ebselen negated its increase, also dose-dependently. Furthermore, ebselen lowered TBARS content of cortical mitochondria treated with O2.- and .OH in a dose-related manner. But ebselen showed no activity of scavenging O2.- and .OH. This suggests that ebselen has direct anti-oxidant activity on neuron and its activity is not achieved by scavenging oxygen free radical.