ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the protective effect and mechanism of salvianolic acid B (Sal B) on glutamate-induced excito-toxicity.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Glutamate-induced PC12 cell injury model was established to detect the cell survival rate by MTT, the leakage rate of lactic dehydrogenases using LDH, and the cell apoptosis by using AO/EB double staining for fluorescence microscope and PI single staining flow cytometry which was also used to detect the content of intracellular reactive oxygen species. The expression of Caspase-3 protein was also detected by the Western blotting method.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Sal B is proved to inhibit glutamate-induced PC12 cells from injury and prevent them from releasing LDH within the range from 50 micromol x L(-1) to 200 micromol x L(-1). Meanwhile, Sal B has an effect on significantly reducing the expression of inhibit glutamate-induced active Caspase-3 protein, inhibiting accumulated glutamate-induced ROS and decreasing PC12 cell apoptosis rate within the range from 50 micromol x L(-1) to 200 micromol x L(-1).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The study proves that Sal B prevented against glutamate-induced cell injury via inhibiting ROS formation and Caspase-3 pathway-dependent apoptosis in PC12 cells.</p>