Abstract: BACKGROUND ＆ AIM: To study the effect of cholesterin on apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs)and evaluate the role of CuSO4 in the process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HUVECs were treated with different culture media:control(with equal volume of solvent),lower_dose group (LD,25 mg/L of cholesterin),medium_dose group (MD，50 mg/L of cholesterin),high_dose group (HD，100 mg/L of cholesterin),control＋10 μmol/L CuSO4 ,LD＋10 μmol/L CuSO4 ,MD＋10 μmol/L CuSO4 and HD＋10 μmol/L CuS04.Apoptosis in HUVECs were analyzed by flow cytometry and proliferation rate of HUVECs were determined by MTT test. RESULTS: Different doses of cholesterin caused different degrees of apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation in HUVECS. With increasing concentration of cholesterin , the effects on HUVECs were enhanced. At the same time, when CuSO4 was added, apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation in HUVECs became more severe. CONCLUSION: Cholesterin could induce apoptosis of HUVECs and inhibit proliferation of HUVECs. CuSO4 could accelerate the effect of cholesterin on HUVECs.

Key words: cholesterin, human umbilical vein endothelial cell, cell apoptosis, cell proliferation