Abstract: Abstract: Objective To study the effects of ibuprofen on the growth and development of oligodendrocytes. Methods A total of 6 clean and healthy adult female SD (Sprague Dawley) rats were used for extracting and culturing of oligodendrocytes (OLs). Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) was then added, and the morphological changes of OLs pre-treatment and post-treatment were observed. Then 6 newborn rats (born 24-48 h) were used for mixed glial cell extraction from the cortex, then the OPCs were inoculated into the culture plates and randomly divided into control group, ibuprofen group, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) group and LPA+ ibuprofen group. After the adhering of the cells in each group for three days, cell morphology was observed, and the drugs were added as interventions. The control group was treated with normal saline, and the other 3 groups were added with saline solution of ibuprofen (100 μmol/L), LPA (1.0 μmol/L) and the mixture of them. The cell morphological changes were observed after 7-day intervention. The morphology of OPCs and OLs were observed by immunofluorescence staining through OPCs’specific immune markers (platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha, PDGFR-α) and OLs’specific immune markers (myelin basic protein, MBP) along with cell count of mature OLs. Western blot assay was used to detect the relative expression level of MBP in each group. Results After the treatment with LPA to the mature OLs, protrusions were shrinking and became very sparse. The morphology of cells developed well in each group after cell adhering for 3 days. After drug intervention for 7 days, more cell protrusions and branches were observed in ibuprofen group and LPA+ ibuprofen group than those of the control group and LPA group. The results of cell count showed that the number of MBP positive cells was significantly higher in the ibuprofen group and LPA+ibuprofen group than that in the control group and LPA group (P＜0.01). The results of Western blot assay showed that the MBP protein expression was significantly less in LPA group than the other three groups (P＜0.01), and the expression was significantly higher in the ibuprofen group than that of LPA + ibuprofen group (P＜0.01). Conclusion LPA has a toxic effect on the growth and development of OPCs, and it has an inhibitory effect on the normal growth of mature OLs. A certain concentration of ibuprofen can significantly inhibit the cytotoxicity of LPA on OPCs and OLs, and promote the formation and maintenance of mature OLs.

Key words: ibuprofen, oligodendroglia, lysophospholipids, receptors, platelet-derived growth factor, myelin basic proteins, growth and development