Fig. 1. Phase contrast (A ) and fluorescence microscope (B ) analysis of the mixed neurons/astrocytes cultures submitted (b , c , d ) or not (a ) to an oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD) and treated or not (b ) with 10 μm propofol (c ) or 10 μm MK-801 (d ). (A ) Twenty-four hours after the 90-min OGD period, cells were either examined under phase contrast microscopy (×20). Photomicrographs showed that OGD elicited marked degenerative changes of neurons with mainly shrinkage and disintegration of dendrites (Ab ) compared to sham wash cells (Aa ). Propofol, 10 μm (Ac ), and MK-801, 10 μm (Ad ), added during OGD markedly decreased ischemic damages. Scale bar, 20 μm. (B ) Compared to sham wash cultures (Ba ), OGD elicited a dramatic and significant decrease of the number of neurons (MAP2a; red ) in control cultures (Bb ). The number of underlying glial cells (GFAP; green ) was not affected by the OGD, but the morphologic characteristics of astrocytes shifted from a stellar to a flat configuration. Degenerative cells were only labeled by DAPI (blue ). Propofol (Bc ) and MK-801 (Bd ) exhibited a neuroprotective effect against ischemic injury. Scale bar , 20 μm.