Objective: Sodium ferulate is a potent antioxidant purified from ferula assafoetida L. The effect of sodium ferulate on apoptosis of human lymphocytes induced by H2O2 in vitro was studied.
Methods: Apoptosis was detected by light and electron microscopic, DNA electrophoresis and Flow cytometric cell cycle analysis. mitochondrial function was detected by MTT method. BCL-2 and Bax expression was detected by confocal laser scanning microscope.
Results: The morphological and biochemical changes characteristic of apoptosis were partially restored after treatment with sodium ferulate, Immunofluorescence assay showed a decrease in BCL-2 and an increase in Bax oncogene proteins in lymphocytes treated with H2O2 and an improvement of cell apoptosis was found after sodium ferulate treatment.
Conclusion: Oxidative stress can induce apoptosis in lymphocytes, and this induction can be partly prevented by sodium ferulate.