Effect of arsenic trioxide on human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells: inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis.

Arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)), a major ingredient of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is found to be an effective anticancer drug in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). The present study explored the use of As(2)O(3) on human hepatocellular carcinoma by in vitro study. The study showed that the clinically achievable concentration of As(2)O(3), i.e. 2 microM, inhibited the cell proliferation of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, HepG2, in a time-dependent manner. The mechanistic study showed that 2 microM of As(2)O(3) acted through induction of apoptosis in which caspase-3 was activated. The results also suggested that mitochondria did not take part in As(2)O(3)-induced apoptosis.