ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of morroniside on H2O2-induced apoptosis in nerve cells.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y cells were pre-incubaed with morroniside (1, 10, and 100 micromol x L(-1)) for 24 h prior to exposure to H2O2 (500 micromol x L(-1)) for 18 h. The activity of reactive SOD was measured by a biochemical assay. The expression of caspase-3, caspase-9, Bcl-2 and Bax was determined by Wastern blotting method.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Pretreatment of the cells with morroniside (10 and 100 micromol x L(-1)) increasd SOD activity by 14% (P<0.01) and 11% (P<0.05) in comparison with cells exposed only to H2O2. Morroniside (1, 10, 100 micromol x L(-1)) lowered caspase-3 level by 31% (P<0.01), 103% (P<0.001) and 95% (P<0.001), decreased caspase-9 content by 71% (P<0.001), 132% (P<0.001) and 37% (P<0.05), and increasd Bcl-1 level by 88% (P<0.01), 121% (P<0.001) and 60% (P<0.01) respectively but no significant change occurred in Bax level in comparison with cells exposed only to H2O2.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Morroniside has neuroprotection effect against H2O2-induced oxidation injury in nerve cell.</p>