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AIM: To evaluate the effects of tanshinone Ⅱ-A on inducing growth inhibition and apoptosis of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells.METHODS: The human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line SMMC-7721 was used for the study. The cells were treated with tanshinone Ⅱ-A at different doses and different times.Cell growth and proliferation were measured by MTT assay,cell count and colony-forming assay. Apoptosis induction was detected by microscopy, DNA ladder electrophoresis and flow cytometry.RESULTS: In MTT assay, the inhibitory effect became gradually stronger with the passage of time, 24, 48, 72and 96 h after treatment with tanshinone Ⅱ-A, and the mostsignificant effect was observed at 72 h. On the other hand, the increase of doses (0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 mg/L tanshinone Ⅱ-A) resulted in enhanced inhibitory effect.The growth and proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells were obviously suppressed in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The results of cell count were similar to that of MTT assay. In colony-forming assay, the colony-forming rates were obviously inhibited by tanshinone Ⅱ-A. In tanshinone Ⅱ-A group, the morphology of cellular growth inhibition and characteristics of apoptosis such as chromatin condensation, crescent formation, margination and apoptotic body were observed under light and transmission electron microscopes. DNA ladder of cells was presented in electrophoresis. The apoptosis index (AI) was 16.9% (the control group was 4.6%) in flow cytometry. The cells were arrested in G0/G1 phase, and the expressions of apoptosisrelated genes bcl-2 and c-myc were down-regulated and fas, bax, p53 up-regulated.CONCLUSION: Tanshinone Ⅱ-A could inhibit the growth and proliferation of HCC cell effectively in vitro by apoptosis induction,which was associated with up-regulation of fas, p53, bax,expression and down-regulation of bcl-2and c-myc.