ObjectiveTo observe the effect of caloric restriction on oxidative damage in human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y cells in vitro. MethodsTo establish an in vitro model of H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress damage of SH-SY5Y cells. SH-SY5Y cells were cultured in vitro. The cells were divided into four groups:control group, H₂O₂ (250 μmol/L) group, low glucose (2g/L) group, and low glucose + H₂O₂ group. Cell morphology, thiazolyl blue (MTT) metabolism rate, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage rate were measured to observe the cell growth status in different groups. ResultsCompared with the control group, the MTT metabolism rate in the cells treated with 50 μmol/L H₂O2 for one hour was not significantly changed (P>0.05), but it was significantly decreased in the 0,0, 0,0 μmol/L H₂O₂-treated groups than that of control group (P<0.01), and there was a tendency that along with the increase of H₂O2 concentration, the cell activity was increasingly decreased. So, the H₂O2 concentration of 250 μmol/L was selected to generate oxidative stress. The MTT metabolism rate in the cells pretreated with low glucose for 24 hours and treated with 250 μmol/L H₂O2 for one hour was significantly decreased than that of control group (P<0.01), but significantly increased than that of the H₂O2 group (P<0.01). When the cells were further cultured for 7 hours, the metabolism rate of the low glucose group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.01). Compared with the H₂O2 group, the metabolism rate of the low glucose + H₂O2 group was significantly increased (P<0.01). The LDH leakage rate in the cells treated with 250 μmol/L H₂O2 for 1 hour was significantly increased than that of the control group (P<0.05). The LDH leakage rate in the low glucose treated group was slightly decreased, and the rate of the low glucose + H₂O2 group was significantly lower than that of the H₂O₂-treated group (P<0.01). When the cells were further culture for 7 hours, the LDH leakage rate of the low glucose group treated for 7 hours was slightly higher than that of cells cultured for 1 hour (P＞0.05). The LDH leakage rate of the low glucose + H₂O2 group cultured for 7 hours was slightly higher than that of cells cultured for 1 hour (P＞0.05). The histological observation revealed that the morphology of cells treated with low glucose was similar to that of the control group, and it was similar at one hour after H₂O₂ added. At 7 hours after addition of H₂O₂, the cells of the low glucose group and control group had well streching cytoplasmic projections, but in the H₂O₂ group, the cell number was significantly reduced, with a lot of dead cells, and the cells became rounded in shape and with poor adherence and transparence. ConclusionCaloric restriction can improve the viability and anti-oxidative stress ability of neurons, and reduce the cell mortality.