Background:Gastric ischemia-reperfusion injury often leads to calcium overload,excessive free radical production, leukocyte infiltration and microcirculation disturbance.Post hypoxic treatment can effectively reduce the injury induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R).Galanin receptor 2 (GalR2)is distributed mainly in the digestive and nervous system, which can regulate many endocrine activity.However,the protective effect of GalR2 on human gastric epithelial cells injury induced by H/R is not clarified.Aims:To investigate the protective effect and its mechanism of GalR2 agonist post-conditioning on human gastric epithelial cells injury induced by H/R.Methods:H/R model was constructed on human gastric epithelial cells GES-1.Normal control group (N group),H/R group,M1145 (GalR2 agonist)treatment group (M group),SB203580 (p38MAPK inhibitor) +M1145 treatment group (S +Mgroup)and DMSO solvent control group (D group)were established.Survival rate of cells was measured by MTT assay.Apoptosis rate of cells was determined by flow cytometry,and cell apoptosis was examined by Hoechst staining.Level of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)was measured by ELISA.Expressions of Bcl-2,Bax and p38MAPK were determined by real-time quantitative PCR.Results:Survival rate of cells was significantly lower in H/R group than that in N and M groups (P <0.05 ).Apoptosis rate of cells was significantly higher in H/R group than that in N,M and S +M groups (P <0.05 ),and apoptosis rate of cells was significantly lower in Mgroup than that in S +M group (P <0.05).Expression of LDH was significantly higher in H/R group than that in Mand S +Mgroups (P <0.05).Expression of Bcl-2 was significantly higher in N and M groups than that in H/R,S +Mand D groups (P <0.05);expression of Bax was significantly higher in H/R group than that in N,M and S +Mgroups (P <0.05);expression of p38MAPK was significantly lower in H/R and S +M groups than that in M group (P <0.05 ).Conclusions:GalR2 agonist M1145 plays an effective role in reducing the injury of GES-1 cells induced by H/R,the effect may be conducted through p38MAPK pathway.