AIM: To construct recombinant lentiviral vector with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) of CREB gene, and to investigate the effect of CREB gene silencing on mitochondrial morphology and cell apoptosis in oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R)-induced cortical neurons.METHODS: Three lentiviral vectors pLentiLox3.7 (PLL) inserted shRNA fragments targeting CREB gene were co-transfected with the packaging plasmids psPAX2 and pMD2.G to the 293T cells, and the virus particles, which was infected with the primary cortical neurons, was encapsulated.The protein expression of CREB was detected by Western blot.The mitochondrial morphology, cell apoptosis and the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax were evaluated by the methods of MitoTracker red, TUNEL and Western blot in OGD/R induced cortical neurons after CREB gene silencing.RESULTS: The pLL-CREB-shRNA1 was the most effective shRNA, which inhibited 80% CREB gene expression in the cortical neurons.The mitochondrial was appeared dot and fragment morphology in OGD/R induced cortical neurons with transfected pLL-CREB-shRNA1 plasmid.In addition, the expression of Bcl-2 was decreased, the expression of Bax, and the apoptosis of the neurons were increased by tranfected with pLL-CREB-shRNA1.CONCLUSION: CREB shRNA recombinant lentiviral vector specifically inhibits the expression of CREB gene.CREB gene silencing promotes the cell apoptosis and mitochondrial morphological changes in the cortical neurons induced by OGD/R.