Hepatic carcinoma HepG2 cell proliferation and its cellular autophagy by the Nrf2-ARE pathway

Objective To explore the influence of HepG2 cells' proliferation and autophagy by the Nrf2-ARE pathway,and provide the experimental basis for clinical exploring effective liver cancer treatment.Methods Hepatic carcinoma HepG2 cells were cultured,and its proliferation inhibition rates and the change of cell cycle' s in each phase were explored by the MTT assay and flow cytometry.The hepatoma cells' autophagy was qualitative observed by inverted phase contrast microscope and fluorescence microscope.Results Inhibitory rate of HepG2 cells was obviously higher in the Nrf2 inhibitor BML-111 group than control group (P ＜ 0.05),and the control group was aslo obviously higher than the Nrf2 inducer EGb group (P ＜ 0.05).Flow cytometric analysis showed that G1 phase cells in the cell cycle increased,S phase cells reduced and G2/M period cells relatively increased in the Nrf2 inhibitor BML-111 group.But G1 phase cells reduced,S phase cells increased and G2/M period cells relative reduced in the Nrf2 inducer EGb group.Inverted phase contrast microscope and fluorescence microscope checked that ranging from the size of the bubble and autophagosome formed in Hepatoma HepG2 cytoplasmic of the Nrf2 inhibitor BML-111 group.Conclusions The Nrf2-ARE pathway played an reverse inhibition on HepG2 cells' proliferation and autophagy.After the inhibition of Nrf2-ARE pathway,HepG2 cells mostly stayed in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Key words: Autophagy;  Hepatoma cells;  NF-E2-related factor 2;  Cell cycle