se Committee of Tianjin Huanhu Hospital. L-Glutamine, 3-methyladenine, poly-D-lysine, PubMed ID:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19730735 and the 3-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay kit were purchased from Sigma Company. Rabbit anti-mouse LC3, Akt, and phospho-Akt antibodies were purchased from Cell Signaling Technology. Enhanced chemiluminescence reagents were purchased from Millipore Company. Fetal bovine serum, neurobasal medium, B-27 serum-free supplement, Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium /F-12 medium, trypsin, rapamycin, and wortmannin were purchased from Life Technologies. The Akt inhibitor GDC-0068 was purchased from Selleckchem. Glucose-free DMEM was purchased from Gibco Company. Hippocampal Neuronal Cultures, Exposure to OGD Conditions, and Determination of Cell Survival Hippocampal neurons were isolated from pregnant C57BL/6J mice as described elsewhere. Briefly, the fetal hippocampal tissue was separated and transferred into Hanks’ balanced salt solution containing 100 units/mL penicillin, 100 g/mL streptomycin, and 10 mm HEPES. After careful dissection, the hippocampal tissue pieces were 2 / 13 Effects of Ischemic Preconditioning in Mice incubated in 0.125% trypsin solution at 37C for 10 min and flowed through a 200-mesh sieve. Tissues were then centrifuged at 1000 rpm for 10 min, and the precipitate was resuspended in B27-supplemented neurobasal medium and plated onto 0.04 mg/mL poly-D-lysine-coated wells. Previous studies have shown that 55 min of OGD induces cell death in approximately 50% of hippocampal neurons. Thus, cultured hippocampal neurons were exposed to OGD conditions for different times and tested 24 h later by MTT assay to screen out the lethal OGD time of 55 min. The effects of IPC on neuronal death were then studied. Hippocampal neurons were exposed to OGD for different times, followed by another 55 min of OGD 24 h later. Cell survival was then determined 24 h later using MTT assays. Results are expressed as the percentage of cell survival relative to that in control cells maintained under normoxic conditions. A subgroup of cells was treated with IPC and 100 nM 3-MA, IPC and 10 nM GDC-0068, or 10 nM rapamycin under lethal OGD conditions. To evaluate the biological effects of these treatments on neuronal survival, another subgroup of cells was treated with 100 nM 3-MA, 10 nM rapamycin, or 10 nM GDC-0068 under normoxic conditions. Each experiment was repeated 68 times. Animal Model of Cerebral Ischemia and IPC To induce IPC in brain ischemic conditions, a BCCAO mouse model was used. Briefly, C57BL/6 mice were anesthetized with 4% isoflurane and intubated with a small-animal respirator. A midline incision was made, and bilateral common carotid arteries were carefully isolated and occluded by artery clips. After 1, 2, 10, or 20 min, the clips were removed to restore cerebral blood flow, and the incision was closed. In groups 
subjected to artery occlusion for 1 or 2 PubMed ID:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19729642 min, the blood flow occlusion-restore procedure was repeated three times at intervals of 5 min. Body temperature was maintained at 37C throughout the procedure and MedChemExpress GSK1278863 recovery using a heating pad. After 24 h, the mice were sacrificed, and the brain tissues were collected. To determine the protective effects of IPC against ischemic damage in hippocampal neurons, all mice in the IPC and control groups received another 20 min of BCCAO at 24 h after the first surgery. To investigate changes in autophagic activities and the associated mechanisms involved in mediating the protective effects of IPC on the
