Abstract: Objective To explore the effects of angiopoietin-like protein 2 (ANGPTL2) silencing on oxidative stress and apoptosis of hippocampal neuronal cell line HT22 cells induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R). 
Methods The mouse HT22 cell model was established by OGD/R treatment. ANGPTL2 mRNA level, cell viability, cell apoptosis, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, and cellular oxidative stress were determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), cell count kit, terminal labeling and kit. The levels of various proteins were detected by Western blotting. 
Results Compared with the control group, ANGPTL2 mRNA expression level, LDH, apoptosis rate, reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), nucleotide oligomeric domain-like receptor family 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a card (ASC), nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) and protein expressions of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were significantly increased (P＜0.05), while cell viability and super oxide dismutase (SOD) were significantly decreased (P＜0.05). Compared with OGD/R+si-con group, ANGPTL2 mRNA expression level, LDH, apoptosis rate, ROS, MDA, NLRP3 and ASC protein expression were significantly decreased in OGD/R+ Si-Con group (P＜0.05), while cell viability, and SOD as well as Nrf2 and HO-1 protein expression were significantly increased (P＜0.05). 
Conclusion  Silencing ANGPTL2 alleviates OGD/R-induced oxidative stress and NLRP3 inflammasome mediated neuronal apoptosis by regulating Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. 

Key words: angiopoietin-like protein 2, oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation, oxidative stress