ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Curcumin on the cellular apoptosis of rat retinal vascular endothelial cells (RRVEC) induced by high glucose.MethodsGeneration 4 cultured RRVEC were used in this experiment, and identified with anti-vWF factor antibody by immunochemistry and immunofluorescence. The RRVEC were divided into control group (5.5 mmol/L glucose), high glucose group (30 mmol/L glucose), and treatment group (30 mmol/L glucose+30 μmol/L Curcumin), respectively. Flow cytometry was used to measure the cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and apoptosis. The expression intensity and location of nuclear factor (NF)-κB p65 in the cells of the three groups were detected by immunochemistory. The expression of Bcl-2 and Bax protein was detected by Western blot test.ResultsImmunostaining showed that RRVEC were positive for vWF factor. The flow cytometry showed that the cellular ROS level in treatment group was higher than that in the control group (t=8.677, P=0.000), but less than that in the high glucose group (t=40.957, P=0.000). Compared with the high glucose group, the cellular ROS level in the treatment group was decreased significantly (t=6.568, P=0.000). The cellular apoptosis were significantly different among the three groups (F=325.137, P=0.000). Compared with the high glucose group, the cellular apoptosis in the treatment group was decreased significantly (t=12.818, P=0.000). Immunochemistry showed that NF-κB p65 was expressed strongly in the cellular nuclei and cytoplasm in the high glucose group than that in the control group and the treatment group with the significant differences (t=8.322, P=0.000). Western blot results demonstrated that compared with the control group, the expression of Bcl-2 of RRVEC and Bcl-2/Bax ratio decreased (t=4.362, 6.449; P=0.005, 0.001) and Bax increased (t=3.813, P=0.009）in the high glucose group, with statistically significant differences. Compared with the high glucose group, the expression of NF-κB and Bax decreased (t=2.577, 3.059; P=0.042, 0.022) and Bcl-2/Bax ratio increased significantly (t=3.831, P=0.009) in the treatment group.ConclusionCurcumin could suppress the cellular apoptosis of RRVEC induced by high glucose. The mechanism of Curcumin protecting RRVEC may be via regulating NF-κB signal pathway.