Abstract: OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of apigenin on inflammatory response and insulin resistance of L02 cell nonalcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH) model induced by free fatty acids(FFA). METHODS L02 cells were treated with FFA for 24 h to establish NASH model. The cell proliferation inhibition ratio was measured by MTT method and the safe drug concentration of apigenin was determineed. Oil-red staining was used to observe the fat deposition in cells. The content of interleukin-8(IL-8), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and glucose transporter-4(GLUT-4) were detected by Elisa. The content of insulin receptor(IR) was detected by Western-blot and Elisa. RESULTS MTT test showed a cell proliferation inhibition ratio of 18.8% under the maximum concentration of apigenin(280.0 μg·mL^-1). Compared with modle group, the content of GLUT-4 and IR of high, middle and low dose group of apigenin(250，150，100 μg·mL^-1) increased obviously(P<0.01), but the content of IL-8 and TNF-α and fat deposition ratio of high and middle dose group decreased obviously(P<0.01). CONCLUSION Apigenin can improve the insulin resistant and inflammatory response of L02 cell NASH model by adjusting the fat deposition ratio and the contents of IL-8, TNF-α, GLUT-4 and IR，and it has tinny cytotoxicity.