Giving methylene blue while brain cells are still starved makes things worse — it only helps if you wait until oxygen and sugar are restored.
Scientific Claim
Administering methylene blue during oxygen-glucose deprivation exacerbates cell death in primary mouse astrocytes, whereas administration only during reoxygenation is protective.
Original Statement
“MB treatment during OGD did not confer any protection, rather increased cell death induced by OGD. ... MB conferred a significant protection against transient OGD induced cell death only when administered immediately after reoxygenation.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
definitive
Can make definitive causal claims
Assessment Explanation
The study directly compared timing of administration with controlled, replicated viability assays; the bidirectional effect is statistically robust and clearly demonstrated.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (0)
Contradicting (1)
The study found that methylene blue helps brain cells survive when they’re starved of oxygen and sugar, not hurt them—so the claim that it makes things worse during starvation is wrong.