The aim of this study was to investigate the possible protective effects and mechanisms of 20-hydroxyecdysone, an insect steroid hormone, on HEO2-induced cytotoxicity in human neuroblastoma SH-SYSY cells. Pretreatment with 20-hydroxyecdysone significantly elevated the cell viability and decreased LDH leakage in H2O2-treated SH-SY5Y cells. 20-Hydroxyecdysone also dramatically reduced malondialdehyde （MDA） contents and enhanced the superoxide dismutase （SOD） activities under oxidative stress conditions. Furthermore, 20-hydroxyecdysone pretreatment inhibited apoptosis by decreasing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and attenuating the activation of caspase-3. These results suggest that 20-hydroxyecdysone can protect SH-SYSY cells against H2O2-induced cytotoxicity and might potentially be used to treat neurodegenerative diseases induced by oxidative stress and anontosis.
