Phytother Res. 2000 Sep; 14(6): 466-8.

Extract prepared from the bark of Cinnamomum cassia Blume prevents glutamate-induced neuronal death in cultured cerebellar granule cells.

Shimada Y, Goto H, Kogure T, Kohta K, Shintani T, Itoh T, Terasawa K.

Department of Japanese Oriental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan. [email protected]

We studied the protective effect of a water extract from the bark of Cinnamomum cassia Blume on glutamate-induced neuronal death by MTT assay and its action on (45)Ca(2+) influx using cultured rat cerebellar granule cells. In a dose-dependent manner, this extract (10(-5)-10(-4) g/mL) significantly protected against glutamate-induced cell death and also inhibited glutamate-induced (45)Ca(2+) influx. These results suggest that the bark of Cinnamomum cassia has a protective effect on glutamate-induced neuronal death through the inhibition of Ca(2+) influx.Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.