Alzheimers disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease associated with aging and widespread neuronal death,which via an apoptotic mechanism probably.Apoptosis research is a rapidly developing area,but the role of apoptosis in AD is still controversial.In this study,we aimed to investigate the effects of aging and SS31 on the mitochondria-related apoptotic status in SAMP8 mice.Western blot and real-time reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis revealed that aging increased the expression of BCL-2 associated X protein (BAX),and Dynamin related protein 1 (DRP1),as an apoptotic fission protein,and decreased the expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) in the hippocampus of SAMP8 mice.Moreover,our results indicated that SS31 down-regulated the expression of BAX and DRP 1,and up-regulated the expression of BCL-2 in the hippocampus of SAMP8 mice.In conclusion,our findings demonstrate that SAMP8 mice show an age-related enhanced apoptotic status,while SS31 can play a potentially protective role in AD and age-related disorders by anti-apoptotic mechanism.