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AIMS This paper aims to reveal the molecular mechanism of resveratrol against oxidative stress and cell injury. INTRODUCTION The ovarian granulosa-lutein cell injury and apoptosis induced by oxidative stress may be responsible for female luteal phase deficiency. The antioxidant function of resveratrol has been confirmed; however, its effect on the expression of antioxidant enzymes and regulatory mechanisms in ovarian granulosa-lutein cells remains unclear. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the role of the SIRT1/Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway in the effect of resveratrol on the hydrogen peroxide-induced injury of rat ovarian granulosa-lutein cells. METHODS In this study, ovarian granulosa-lutein cells extracted from 3-week female SD rats were treated with 200 µM H2O2 in the presence or absence of 20 µM resveratrol. siRNA-SIRT1 and siRNA-Nrf2 were used to inhibit the expression of SIRT1 and Nrf2, respectively. Cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8), cellular morphology, progesterone secretion, and estradiol were used to evaluate cell injury. Hoechst 33258 staining was used to measure cell apoptosis. DHE staining, DCFH-DA staining, malondialdehyde content, protein carbonyl content, total antioxidant capacity and SOD viability were used to estimate the levels of oxidative stress. Western blot analysis was used to detect the levels of apoptosis-related proteins, and SIRT1/Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway-related proteins. RESULTS The H2O2 treatment-induced rat ovarian granulosa-lutein cells injury was shown as decreased cell viability, impaired cellular morphology, and decreased levels of progesterone and estradiol. The H2O2 treatment also exacerbated cell apoptosis demonstrated as more apoptotic cells stained by Hoechst staining, decreased level of anti-apoptosis protein Bcl-2 and increased level of pro-apoptosis protein Bax. These effects of cell injury and apoptosis induced by H2O2 can be ameliorated by resveratrol. Resveratrol also alleviated oxidative stress induced by H2O2, supported by decreased superoxide anion and cellular total ROS, decreased malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl levels, and increased total antioxidant capacity and SOD viability. Western blot results demonstrated resveratrol reversed the H2O2-induced decrease in levels of antioxidant enzymes containing ARE sequences and activated SIRT1/Nrf2 pathway. Further treatment by siRNA-Nrf2 suggested resveratrol could not activate the expression of antioxidant enzymes under a condition of inhibition of Nrf2. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that resveratrol attenuated oxidative stress to protect H2O2-induced rat ovarian granulosa-lutein cell injury and apoptosis via SIRT1/Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway.