Objective The aim of this study was to determine the effects of elaidic acid on mitochondrial function and autophagy in the human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y. Methods SH-SY5Y cells were cultured in vitro and treated with different concentrations (0,0, 20,0 and 100 μmol/L) of elaidic acid for 24 hours. The morphology of cells and intracellular autophagosomes were observed by transmission electron microscope. The cell viability was detected by using CCK-8 detection kit. Real-time polymerase chain reaction(PCR)and western blot were used to measure the autophagy-related genes and proteins expression. Results Observation of cell structures found that intracellular autophagosomes formed with 50 and 100 μmol/L of elaidic acid. 50 and 100 μmol/L of elaidic acid might result in a decline in cell viability (P＜0.01). 100 μmol/L of elaidic acid significantly decreased cell viability both after 24 and 48 h (P＜0.05). 100 μmol/L of elaidic acid significantly decreased the cytochrome c (cyt-c) gene mRNA expression in SH-SY5Y cells (P＜0.05). The expression level of cyt-c protein in the cytoplasm was gradually elevated with the increase of elaidic acid concentrations (P＜0.05). But the differences with regard to the LC3B, Beclin1, p62, atg5 and atg12 genes mRNA expression levels of SH-SY5Y cells were not significant across different doses(P＞0.05). 50 and 100 μmol/L of elaidic acid gave rise to the expression of LC3B and Beclin1 proteins up-regulated compared with the normal group (P＜0.05). Conclusion Elaidic acid contributes to the decrease of SH-SY5Y cells viability, which may be associated with the formation of autophagosomes, up-regulating autophagy protein expression, promoting the changes of mitochondrial permeability and releasing mitochondrial cyt-c protein into cytoplasm.