Salidroside protects retinal endothelial cells against hydrogen peroxide-induced injury via modulating oxidative status and apoptosis

Oxidative stress can cause injury in retinal endothelial cells. Salidroside is a strong antioxidative and cytoprotective supplement in Chinese traditional medicine. In this study, we investigated the effects of salidroside on H 2 O 2 -induced primary retinal endothelial cells injury. Salidroside decreased H 2 O 2 -induced cell death, and efficiently suppressed cellular ROS production, malondialdehyde generation, and cell apoptosis induced by H 2 O 2 treatment. Salidroside induced the intracellular mRNA expression, protein expression, and enzymatic activities of catalase and Mn-SOD and increased the ratio of Bcl2/Bax. Our results demonstrated that salidroside protected retinal endothelial cells against oxidative injury through increasing the Bcl2/Bax signaling pathway and activation of endogenous antioxidant enzymes. This finding presents salidroside as an attractive agent with potential to attenuate retinopathic diseases. Salidroside protected primary-cultured retinal endothelial cells against H 2 O 2 -induced apoptosis and oxidation.