AIM: To study protective effects of α-Mangostin in human retinal pigment epithelial(RPE)cells induced by hydrogen peroxide(H₂O₂).

METHODS:ARPE-19 cells were treated with different concentrations of α-Mangostin and H₂O₂.The effect of α-Mangostin and H₂O₂ respectively on cell activity was detected by CCK8. ARPE-19 cells were pretreated with different concentrations of α-Mangostin for 24h before they were administrated with 200μmol/L H₂O₂for another 24h.Then the changes of cell activity were observed. The expression of reactive oxygen species(ROS)level was detected by flow cytometry(FCM)and the expression of NF-κB protein was measured by Western blot analysis.

RESULTS:CCK8 examination results showed that: within 0～12μmol/L, α-Mangostin had no damage effects on cell activity. When the concentration of 16μmol/L, cell viability began to decrease(P<0.05).And α-Mangostin pretreatment gradually increased cell viability of ARPE-19 induced by H₂O₂ when the concentrations of α-Mangostin were within 0～16μmol/L. ROS results showed: the expression of ROS level significantly increased after H₂O₂ induced(P<0.05); 8 and 12μmol/L α-Mangostin pretreatment down-regulated ROS expression of ARPE-19 induced by H₂O₂(P<0.05). Western blot results showed that the expression of NF-κB protein after H₂O₂ induced increased(P<0.05); 12μmol/L α-Mangostin pretreatment up-regulated NF-κB of ARPE-19 induced by H₂O₂(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: H₂O₂ induced oxidative damage in RPE cells by decreasing cell viability and increasing the expression of ROS level. α-Mangostin can protect RPE cells from the injury of H₂O₂, the mechanism may be related to the clear of ROS and the activation of NF-κB.