Bifonazole modulates death of cultured cerebellar granular cells induced by glutamate and oxygen-glucose deprivation.

Treatment of cultured rat cerebellar granular cells with calmodulin antagonist bifonazole (10 mM) during oxygen-glucose deprivation or exposure to glutamate (75 mM) prevented neuronal death. However, addition of bifonazole after glutamate treatment promoted neuronal death. Calmodulin antagonists trifluoperazine and thioridazine had no protective effects, while thioridazine even potentiated the toxic effect of glutamate.