Objective     To study the protective effect of sulforaphane (SFN) on in vitro-cultured cortical neuron injury induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R).      Methods     Cortical neurons of neonatal SD rats  after 5-6 days’ primary culture were randomly divided into control group

OGD group and SFN group. An OGD model of cortical neurons was established. One hour after R

a mimic model of reperfusion was established. During OGD/R

cortical neurons were treated with 0.1 mol/L，0.5 μmol/L，1.0 μmol/L， and 2.5μmol/L SFN

respectively. Twenty-four hours after R

survival rate of cortical neurons was detected by MTT assay

LDH release was measured to determine cortical neuron injury

and expressions of 8-OHDG and NQO1 in cortical neurons were detected by immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting

respectively.      Results     MTT assay showed that the survival rate of cortical neurons was significantly higher while the LDH release was significantly lower in 1 mol/L SFN group than in OGD group (54.56%±8.75% vs 37.51%±9.39%

330.91±152.33 mmol/L vs 769.87±275.63 mmol/L

P0.01). Immunofluorescence staining displayed that the positive expression rate of 8-OHDG was significantly lower while that of NQO1 was significantly higher in SFN group than in OGD group (42.10%±8.53% vs 72.50%±10.85%

90.47%±5.46% vs 70.90%±7.92%

P0.01). Western blotting showed that the relative grey value of NQO1 was significantly higher in SFN group than in OGD group (0.760±0.063 vs 0.497±0.056

P0.01).      Conclusion     SFN can reduce cortical neuron injury induced by OGD/R by decreasing the expression of 8-OHDG and increasing the expression of NQO1

which may be one of its protective mechanisms underlying cortical neuron injury.