OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of quercetin on primary cultured newborn rat cortex neuron cell which is estrogen depletion,and discuss the possible mechanism,to provide new ideas and strategies for developing a drug of neurodegenerative disease.METHODS Rat cortex neurons were isolated from one day old Sprague Dawley rats and treated with estrogen,quercetin and estrogen receptor antagonists(ICI182,780).Cell viability was determined by MTT assay,neurite outgrowth was measured by fluorescent microsope and estrogen receptors were determine by Western blot.RESULTS Quercetin functions like estrogen to increase cortex neuronal cell viability,the Que(50,100μmol·L~(-1))group compared with the control group could significantly improve the activity of the cortical neurons(P<0.05).It can also increase neurite out growth,the Que(50,100μmol·L~(-1))group significantly promoted the formation of synapse,most of the neurons were full,and the synapses of neurons became thick,growth,and connect to a dense neural network.And in the Western blot experiments,Que(50,100μmol·L~(-1))group could obviously increase the expression of estrogen receptor alpha protein,in addition,the neural protective effect of quercetin can be inhibited by ICI182,780.CONCLUSION Quercetin like estrogen can protected cortex neuronal and the effect of quercetin on cortex neuronal cells was mediated by estrogen receptor alpha. OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of quercetin on primary cultured newborn rat cortex neuron cell which is estrogen depletion, and discuss the possible mechanism, to provide new ideas and strategies for developing a drug of neurodegenerative disease. METHODS Rat cortex neurons were isolated from one day old Sprague Dawley rats and treated with estrogen, quercetin and estrogen receptor antagonists (ICI 182, 780). Cell viability was determined by MTT assay, neurite outgrowth was measured by fluorescent microsope and estrogen receptors were determined by Western blot. RESULTS Quercetin functions like estrogen to increase The cortical neuronal cell viability, the Que (50, 100 μmol·L -1) group compared with the control group could significantly improve the activity of the cortical neurons (P <0.05) .It can also increase neurite out growth, the Que 50,100μmol·L -1) group significantly promoted the formation of synapse, most of the neurons were full, and the synapses of neurons became thick, growth, and connect t oa dense neural network. And in the Western blot experiments, Que (50, 100 μmol·L ~ (-1)) group could obviously increase the expression of estrogen receptor alpha protein, in addition, the neural protective effect of quercetin can be inhibited by ICI182 , 780. CONCLUSION Quercetin like estrogen can protected cortex neuronal and the effect of quercetin on cortex neuronal cells was mediated by estrogen receptor alpha.