动脉粥样硬化（AS）是一种慢性炎症性疾病，其特征是血管内皮细胞氧化损伤增加。抑制血管内皮细胞的氧化损伤可有效预防AS的发生和发展。值得注意的是，金雀花素（GEN；ID 号 5280961）是一种在豆科植物中发现的植物化学物质，具有类黄酮特性，具有多种潜在的生物活性，包括抗氧化、抗炎和抗癌。 GEN的抗氧化能力对氧化应激后的血管内皮细胞具有潜在的保护作用。在本研究中，在人血管内皮细胞 (HUVEC) 中研究了 GEN 对 H2O2 诱导的氧化损伤的保护作用。 HUVECs经GEN预处理后，加入H2O2，流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡，PCR、western blot检测相关基因和蛋白的表达。本研究结果表明，GEN 显着提高了 H2O2 应激后 HUVEC 的细胞存活率并降低了细胞凋亡率。此外，GEN通过增强抗氧化酶谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶、超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶的活性来减少细胞内活性氧的积累。此外，GEN 还抑制血管内皮细胞凋亡，增强核因子红细胞 2 相关因子 2 (Nrf2)/血红素加氧酶 1 (HO-1)/SOD 通路的激活。总的来说，GEN 被认为是一种有效的抗氧化剂，可以通过 HUVEC 中的 Nrf2/HO-1/SOD 信号通路减少 H2O2 造成的氧化损伤。

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by increased oxidative injury in vascular endothelial cells. Inhibiting the oxidative damage of vascular endothelial cells can effectively prevent the occurrence and development of AS. Of note, Genistein (GEN; ID no. 5280961) is phytochemical found in legume family which has flavonoid properties with multiple potential biological activities including antioxidant, anti‑inflammatory and anticancer. Antioxidant capacity of GEN has a potential protective effect on vascular endothelial cells after oxidative stress. In the present study, the protective effect of GEN on H2O2‑induced oxidation damage was investigated in human vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs). Following GEN pretreatment of HUVECs, H2O2 was added, and apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry, and the expression of relevant genes and proteins was detected by PCR and westerner blot. The results of the present study revealed that GEN significantly enhanced the cell survival rate and decreased the apoptotic rates of HUVECs after H2O2 stress. Besides, GEN reduced the accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species by enhancing activity of antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase. Moreover, GEN also inhibited the apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells and enhanced the activation of the nuclear factor erythroid2‑related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase‑1 (HO‑1)/SOD pathway. Collectively, it was identified that GEN is an effective antioxidant which can reduce the oxidative damage by H2O2 through the Nrf2/HO‑1/SOD signaling pathway in HUVECs.