Purpose. To explore the effect and possible mechanism of icariin, a prenylated flavonol glycoside derived from the Chinese herb Epimedium sagittatum that was applied to IL-1 beta pretreated human nucleus pulposus (NP) cells. Methods. Human NP cells were isolated from intervertebral discs of patients with scoliosis and lumbar spondylolisthesis. The cells were divided into five groups: A (blank control); B (20 ng/ml IL-1 beta); C (20 ng/ml IL-1 beta + 20 mu M icariin); D (20 mu M icariin + 20 ng/ml IL-1 beta + 25 mu M LY294002); E (20 ng/ml IL-1 beta + 25 mu M LY294002). For each of the five groups, the CCK8, apoptosis rates, ROS rates, and JC-1 rates were determined and an electron micrograph was performed. Different expression levels of apoptosis proteins and proteins in the PI3K/AKT pathway were detected via western blot. Results. We found that the damage effects on human nucleus pulposus cells from 20 ng/ml of IL-1 beta exposure were attenuated by icariin. When the PI3K/AKT pathway was blocked by LY294002, a specific inhibitor of this pathway, the protective effect of icariin was impaired. In summary, icariin might be a protective traditional Chinese medicine, which prevents inflammation-induced degeneration of intervertebral discs partly through the PI3K/AKT pathway.