Figure 1

α2 agonists are neuroprotective against RGC death in vitro. α2 agonists’ effects on neuroprotection were investigated in vitro using the MTT assay in immortalised RNs against CoCl₂ (hypoxic) and UV (stress) insults; against 250 μM CoCl₂ BMD showed significant neuroprotection at all concentrations tested, Dex showed protection at 0.01 μM and Clo was neuroprotective at 0.1, 1 and 100 μM (a). Against the insult of UV, BMD was protective at 100 and 10 μM and Clo and Dex were both protective at 0.01 μM (b). The protective effects of BMD at 10 and 100 μM against CoCl₂ were reproduced in mouse-derived primary mixed retinal cultures (c). In immortalised RNs, BMD (10 μM) was found to be protective against an UV-light insult of 80 j/cm² (d). All experiments were carried out in triplicate. All means±S.E.M.; * P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001