ABSTRACT
AIM: To investigate the effect of sucking porcine liver extracts (LE) and doxorubicin (DXR) on BEL-7402 hepatoma cells in the renal capsulae of BALB/c nude mice. METHODS: Histo-cellular morphology, mitotic counting, ultrastructural observation and in situ DNA labeling apoptotic detection were performed. RESULTS: Both LE and DXR can apparently inhibit the tumors' growth and induce the apotosis of hepatoma cells. LE exerted no apparent effect on the hepatoma cell mitosis, but DXR inhibited it. Electron-microscopic observations showed LE can induce the hepatoma cells to apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: LE can induce the hepatoma cells to apoptosis, but has no apparent effect of their differentiation and proliferation. DXR can not only induce the hepatoma cells to apoptosis and inhibit their growth, but also can promote their differentiation.