SD rats were given Sijunzi granules （5.25 g/kg， 10.5 g/kg） intragastrically for 7 days to prepare Sijunzi granules-containing serum. Following pre-incubation with Sijunzi granules-containing serum for 24 h， STC-1 cells were exposed to palmitic acid （0.4 mmol/L） for 72 h. Cell viability was detected by CCK8 assay and cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry．The levels of caspase-3 and caspase-9 activity were measured colorimetrically using commercially available kits and the protein contents of p-PERK， CHOP， Bcl-2 and Bax were determined by Western blot analysis.

Pre-incubation with Sijunzi granules-containing serum resulted in a significant alleviation of STC-1 cell injury and apoptosis induced by palmitic acid （P < 0.05 or P < 0.01）. The levels of p-PERK， CHOP and Bax protein and the activities of caspase-3 and caspase-9 were markedly down-regulated in cells treated with Sijunzi granules-containing serum （P < 0.05 or P < 0.01）， while the level of Bcl-2 protein was up-regulated evidently （P < 0.05 or P < 0.01）.

Sijunzi granules can ameliorate palmitic acid induced injury and apoptosis in STC-1 cells， which may be derived from suppression of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related signaling pathway.

采用血清药理学方法，灌胃给予四君子颗粒（5.25 g/kg、10.5 g/kg），连续7 d，制备含药大鼠血清。培养STC-1细胞，与含药血清预孵24 h后暴露于棕榈酸（0.4 mmol/L）72 h。CCK8法检测STC-1细胞活力，流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡水平，比色法检测caspase-3以及caspase-9活性， Western blot法检测内质网应激相关蛋白CHOP、p-PERK及凋亡相关蛋白Bcl-2、Bax蛋白水平。

与四君子颗粒含药血清预孵可明显减轻棕榈酸诱导的STC-1细胞损伤，降低细胞凋亡率（P < 0.05或P < 0.01），并使p-PERK、CHOP及Bax蛋白降低（P < 0.05或P < 0.01），Bcl-2蛋白水平升高（P < 0.01）。同时，四君子颗粒可明显抑制棕榈酸诱导的凋亡蛋白酶caspase-3和caspase-9活化（P < 0.05或P < 0.01）。

四君子颗粒可明显抑制棕榈酸诱导的STC-1细胞凋亡，其机制可能与抑制内质网应激信号通路及调控Bcl-2家族蛋白表达有关。