The protective role of glycyrrhizin on ethanol- damaged B92 glial cells in vitro

Background and Purpose: Glycyrrhizin is one of the most important pharmacological compounds of the Licorice plant. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of glycyrrhizin on the B92 glial cells after treatment with ethanol. Materials and Methods: B92 cells were obtained from the Pasteur institute cell bank of Iran, (1×106 cell/ml) were transferred to 96 plates and incubated with various glycyrrhizin concentration (5, 10 and 25 µM) for 24 hours. Then, the cells were exposed to absolute ethanol for 80 minutes at concentrations of 86 mM. Finally, the viability of the cells was evaluated with neutral red (NR) uptake and MTT tests. Results: Glycyrrhizin reduced the level of the cell membrane and mitochondrial damages induced by ethanol in a dose-dependent manner, so that 10 and 25 µM concentration of glycyrrhizin reduced the membrane damage and the mitochondrial performance damage, significantly. Nevertheless, Glycyrrhizin at concentration of 5 µM didn’t show any protective role so that at this concentration the growth and proliferation of cells reduced. Conclusion: Glycyrrhizin dose dependently can protect the B92 cells against ethanol-induced damage.