Induction of Proliferation Inhibition and Differentiation of Hepatocarcinoma Cell HepG2 by Genistein

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of genistein on proliferation inhibition and differentiation induction of HepG2 human primary hepatocacinoma cells. METHODS The HepG2 cells were treated with genistein or all-trans retinotic acid to observe the alterations of nucleocytoplasm and tubulin arrangement after Gimsa coloration and Coomassie brilliant blue staining. MTT and cell counting method were used to detect the effect of genistein on the proliferation of HepG2 cells. the Alpha-fetoprotein(AFP) secretary amount of the cells was assayed by radioimmunoassay(RIA), the activities of alkaline phosephatase(ALP) and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase(γ-GT) were investigated by enzymatic reaction kit, the synthesis of TAT was determined by Diamondstone spectrophotometry. RESULTS After treated with 10 μmol·L^-1 and 100 μmol·L^-1 genistein for 48?h respectively, the proliferation of HepG2 cells were all obviously inhibited, and the inhibition degrees were related to dose of the drugs(P<0.05, P<0.01). Treated with 10 μmol·L^-1 genistein, the nucleocytoplasm ratio of the cells was reduced significantly (P<0.01), the specific activities of TAT and ALP, biomarkers of liver cancer cells, were all increased evidently, and the secretory amount of AFP and the specific activities of γ-GT were decreased obviously(P<0.01). CONCLUSION Genistein can inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 human primary hepatocacinoma cells, and induce them to differentiate to mature cells.