ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of Abnormal Savda Munziq (ASMq) flavonoids on proliferation, apoptosis and apoptosis-related gene expression in human hepatoma (HepG2) cells in vitro and to probe the mechanism.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The effects of ASMq flavonoids on proliferation, apoptosis and apoptosis-related gene expression of HepG2 cells were investigated respectively by MTT assay, gel electrophoresis, flow cytometry and RT-PCR.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>ASMq flavonoids significantly inhibited growth of HepG2 cells in vitro, arrested HepG2 in the sub-G, phase, induced cell apoptosis and significantly down-regulated expression level of Bcl-2 mRNA, and up-regulated expression of p53, p21, Bax gene mRNA expressions.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ASMq flavonoids has significantly regulative action on growth, apoptosis and apoptosis-related gene expression of cancer cells in vitro, which possibly are the important way to excert anticancer effect, and flavonoids are possibly a main active component of ASMq for exerting the anticancer effect.</p>