Abstract: Objective: Investigate the effect of Astragalus injection on the expression of JNK3(c-jun N terminal kinase) following hypoxia/ hypoglycemia and reoxygenation in rat hippocampal neurons. Methods: 8 days-old hippocampal neurons which had undergone primary cultures were divided randomly into normal control group、hypoxia/ hypoglycemia and reoxygenation group(model group)、Astragalus injection group and vehicle control group. Hippocampal neurons were treated with reoxygenation after deprived of oxygen and glucose for 30 minutes in model group, and expressions of JNK3 were measured by immunohistochemistry and western blotting after reoxygenation 0h、0.5h、2h、6h、24h、72h、120h . Results: Compared with normal control group, the numbers of JNK3-marked neurons and the mean optic density (MOD) of JNK3 protein increased obviously in model group excepted 120h (P<0.05); Compared with model group, the numbers of JNK3–marked neurons and MOD of JNK3 decreased obviously in the Astragalus injection group excepted 120h (P<0.05). Conclusions: Astragalus injection can inhibit the expression of JNK3 protein following hypoxia/ hypoglycemia and reoxygenation, which plays a role in inhibiting hippocampal neuronal apoptosis.

Key words: hypoxia/hypoglycemia and reoxygenation, Astragalus injection, c-jun N terminal kinase 3, hippocampal neuron