ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the protective effect of purariae isoflavone on apoptosis cells of atrophic nasal mucosas in ovariectomized rats.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>60 rats were divided into four groups as control, ovariectomized, ovariectomized + nylestriol (O + N) and ovariectomized + purariae isoflavone (O + P), each with 15 rats. Earlier apotosis cells of mucosas taken from nasal septum were measured with flow cytometry.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Compared with control group, and the number of apoptosis cells of mucosas increased after being ovariectomized,and the number of apoptosis cells of mucosas in O + N and O + D group didn't change.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Nylestriol and purariae isoflavone might have effects on protecting cells of mucosas from lacking of estrogen by decreasing apoptosis cells in ovariectomized rats.</p>