Aim: To study the effects of {2-[(3-carboxy-1-oxoprogy1)amino]-2-deoxy-D-glucose (COPADG) on cultured human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2).
Methods: HepG2 cells were cultured in RPMI-1640 medium. Cell proliferation was determined by MTT assay. Apoptosis was determined by fluorescence microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA fragmentation, and flow cytometry.
Results: At the concentration ranging between 1-30 micromol/L, COPADG potently inhibited the growth and induced apoptosis of HepG2 cells.
Conclusion: COPADG could effectively induce apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. More investigations are warranted for the potential use of this compound as a new agent for the non-surgical management of human hepatocellular carcinoma.