Geniposide is an active ingredient with anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory properties. This study was to examine the effects of geniposide on a cell model of spinal cord injury (SCI). PC12 cells were administrated with geniposide before subjected to LPS. The effects of geniposide were analyzed by utilizing CCK-8 assay, apoptosis assay, ELISA, RT-qPCR and Western blot. We found that PC12 cells viability was unchanged by treating with geniposide. However, geniposide with concentrations of 200 or 300 lg/mL significantly mitigated LPS-evoked viability loss. Meanwhile, apoptosis driven by LPS was mitigated by geniposide, which accompanied with p53, Bax and cleaved caspase-3 down-regulation, and Bcl-2 up-regulation. Besides this, the expression and release of IL-1b, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-a evoked by LPS were mitigated by geniposide. miR-145-5p was a target of geniposide. miR-145-5p expression was up-regulated by geniposide, and geniposide did not protect PC12 cells against LPS injury when miR-145-5p was silenced. Moreover, geniposide inhibited NF-jB and JNK pathways via up-regulating miR-145-5p. In short, the present work described the neuroprotective effects of geniposide by targeting miR-145-5p. Further mechanisms involved in geniposide's beneficial effects are correlated with the inhibited NF-jB and JNK pathways. HIGHLIGHTS 1. Geniposide prevents LPS-induced injury in PC12 cells; 2. Geniposide up-regulates miR-145-5p; 3. Geniposide protects PC12 cells via up-regulation of miR-145-5p; 4. Geniposide inhibits NF-jB and JNK pathways via up-regulation of miR-145-5p.