Abstract: AIM: To investigate the effects and mechanisms of 962-contained mice-serum on intracellular calcium ([Ca²⁺] i) caused by injury of mitochondria. METHODS:MPTP and 3-NPA were used as mitochondrial inhibitors to trigger the increase of [Ca²⁺] i.Using Fura-2 AM as the fluorescent indicator of [Ca²⁺] i, the inhibit effects of 962-contained serum were detected, and the mechanisms were analyzed by adding Thapsigargin, glutamine or KCl to the neurons.RESULTS: 962-contained mice-serum showed significant inhibitive effects on [Ca²⁺] i increasing in a dose-dependent manner.For MPTP, the strongest inhibition was obtained by serum from mice that administrated 962 for 3 days (d-3 serum), while for 3-NPA it was the d^-14 serum that showed the strongest effect.The mechanical study showed that the d-3 serum inhibited the increasing of [Ca²⁺] i caused by glutamine or KCl, and the effect of Thapsigargin was also found at a higher dosage.CONCLUSION: 962-contained serum shows inhibitory effects on [Ca²⁺] i increasing caused by MPTP or 3-NPA, in which the primary or the secondary metabolites of 962 played the key role.The mechanical analysis shows that this protective effect on the increasing of [Ca²⁺] i is mainly mediated by inhibiting the influx of calcium from outside.

Key words: serum pharmacology, intracellular calcium, 3-NPA, MPTP, Fura-2 AM