AIM:To investigate the effects of cinnamic acid (CA) combined with cisplatin on the proliferation and apoptosis of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line MHCC97. METHODS:Human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line MHCC97 was culured and divided into CA group, cisplatin group, CA+cisplatin group and control group. MTT assay, inverted microscopy, annexin V-FITC/PI staining and flow cytometry were applied to identify the viability, morphology and apoptosis of the cells. The apoptosis-related signaling protein caspase-3 was detected by Western blotting. RESULTS:CA and cisplatin either alone or in combination significantly inhibited the proliferation and induced obvious apoptosis of MHCC97 cells, while CA alone or combined with cisplatin had no significant inhibitory effect on normal human liver L-02 cells. The rates of mid-and late apoptosis or necrosis were higher in cisplatin group than that in CA group or combination group, but the early apoptotic rate was just the opposite. Pro-apoptotic activity in combination group was much stronger than that in CA group or cisplatin group at lower concentration, and combination group promoted apoptosis and decreased the cytotoxic side effects of cisplatin. CA and cisplatin either alone or in combination also up-regulated the cleaved caspase-3 expression in a time-dependent manner, and the effects in CA group and combination group were higher than that in cisplatin group. CONCLUSION:CA and cisplatin either alone or in combination inhibit the growth of MHCC97 cells by inducing apoptosis, and the activation of caspase-3 may play important roles in these processes. 相似文献