Objective: To investigate the influence of quercetin on the apoptosis of hepatic cancer cells SMMC-7721 and on PI3K/AKT signal pathways in SMMC-7721 cells. Method: Inhibitory effect of quercetin on SMMC-7721 cell growth was detected by MTT assay. Cell cycle changes were analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). The Western blot test was employed for evaluating influence of quercetin on apoptosis related protein expression in PI3K/AKT signal pathways of SMMC-7721. Result: Quercetin inhibited cell proliferation of SMMC-7721 obviously

and in a concentration and time dependence manner. The inhibition rates of cisplatin and quercetin (40

80

160

320 μmol · L-1

48 h) were 62.19%

25.47%

27.18%

36.96%

51.28% respectively. FCM showed that 80

160

320 μmol · L-1 of quercetin could arrest SMMC-7721 cells in G0/G1 phase. Western blot showed that apoptosis related protein expression testing showed that the expression of AKT inhibited in the drug groups

and the protein expression of PTEN

caspase-9 increased with the drug concentration. Conclusion: Quercetin can induce apoptosis of SMMC-7721 cell

its mechanism could be related to hepatic cancer cells SMMC-7721 arrested in G0/G1 phase

the inhibition of AKT activation by PTEN gene over-expression

and the promotion of apoptosis by caspase-9 activation.