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Solid-stabilized high internal phase emulsions have received extensive attention. Many previous studies have confirmed that solid emulsifiers in high internal phase Pickering emulsions (HIPPEs) provide a great interface mechanical barrier. With the development of research, novel solid-stabilized emulsions have emerged. These emulsions are stabilized by the electrostatic repulsion between the surfactants and hydrophilic solid particles. They are distinct from Pickering emulsions in that the solid particles do not exist at the oil-water interface, but are dispersed in the continuous phase, so it is called a non-Pickering emulsion. However, high internal phase non-Pickering emulsions (HIPNPEs) are rarely reported. Herein, HIPNPEs that are synergistically stabilized by anionic surfactants with dynamic covalent bonds and negatively charged nano-SiO

On the basis of real-world clinical data, the study aimed to explore the effect and mechanisms of the treatment plan of “traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) regulating liver regeneration.” A total of 457 patients with HBV-related liver failure were retrospectively collected. The patients were divided into three groups: the modern medicine control group (MMC group), patients treated with routine medical treatment; the control group combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine (CTW), patients treated with routine medical treatment plus the common TCM formula; and the treatment group of “TCM regulating liver regeneration” (RLR), patients treated with both routine medical treatment and the special TCM formula of RLR. After 8 weeks of treatment, the mortality of patients in the RLR group (12.31%) was significantly lower than those in the MMC (50%) and CTW (29.11%) groups. Total bilirubin level significantly decreased and albumin increased in the RLR group when compared with the MMC and CTW groups (P < 0.05). In addition, there were significant differences in the expression of several cytokines related to liver regeneration in the RLR group compared with the MMC group. RLR treatment can decrease jaundice, improve liver function, and significantly reduce the mortality in patients with HBV-related liver failure. The mechanism may be related to the role of RLR treatment in influencing cytokines related to liver regeneration.

BackgroundA hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prediction model (ASAP), including age, sex, and the biomarkers alpha-fetoprotein and prothrombin induced by vitamin K absence-II, showed potential clinical value in the early detection of HCC. We validated and updated the model in a real-world cohort and promoted its transferability to daily clinical practice.MethodsThis retrospective cohort analysis included 1012 of the 2479 eligible patients aged 35 years or older undergoing surveillance for HCC. The data were extracted from the electronic medical records. Biomarker values within the test-to-diagnosis interval were used to validate the ASAP model. Due to its unsatisfactory calibration, three logistic regression models were constructed to recalibrate and update the model. Their discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility were compared. The performance statistics of the final updated model at several risk thresholds are presented. The outcomes of 855 non-HCC patients were further assessed during a median of 10.2 months of follow-up. Statistical analyses were performed using packages in R software.ResultsThe ASAP model had superior discriminative performance in the validation cohort [C-statistic = 0.982, (95% confidence interval 0.972–0.992)] but significantly overestimated the risk of HCC (intercept − 3.243 and slope 1.192 in the calibration plot), reducing its clinical usefulness. Recalibration-in-the-large, which exhibited performance comparable to that of the refitted model revision, led to the retention of the excellent discrimination and substantial improvements in the calibration and clinical utility, achieving a sensitivity of 100% at the median prediction probability of the absence of HCC (1.3%). The probability threshold of 1.3% and the incidence of HCC in the cohort (15.5%) were used to stratify the patients into low-, medium-, and high-risk groups. The cumulative HCC incidences in the non-HCC patients significantly differed among the risk groups (log-rank test, p-value ConclusionsThe ASAP model is an accurate tool for HCC risk estimation that requires recalibration before use in a new region because calibration varies with clinical environments. Additionally, rational risk stratification and risk-based management decision-making, e.g., 3-month follow-up recommendations for targeted individuals, helped improve HCC surveillance, which warrants assessment in larger cohorts.

The development of functional foods based on medicinal food ingredients has become a hot topic in China. Di Wu Yang Gan (DWYG) is a Chinese medicinal food that contains five dietary plants. Various health benefits, including anti-inflammation, liver regeneration regulation, have been reported, though the mechanism is not clear. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of DWYG on carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury (ALI) in embryonic liver L-02 cells and mice model. DWYG-medicated serum protected L-02 cells from carbon tetrachloride-induced damage, reduced the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in the culture medium, decreased the expression of Bax and increased the expression of Bcl-2. Mice study suggested that DWYG decreased the levels of malondialdehyde, ALT and AST. Together, these results suggest the hepatoprotective effects of DWYG against ALI and provide an experimental basis for the utilization of DWYG to treat liver damage.

The phase inversion composition (PIC) method is to change the composition of the system to form nanoemulsion under constant temperature conditions. In this work, the nanoemulsion charge was regulated by changing the pH of the system to protonate and deprotonate N, N-dimethyldecanamide (DMDEA). The particle size and stability of the nanoemulsion were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS). Zeta potential (ζ) confirmed the electrification of nanoemulsion at different pH. Contact angle measurement revealed the influence of different electrification of nanoemulsion on wettability alteration. The wettability of quartz powder before and after nanoemulsion treatment was analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The displacement experiment proved the efficiency of nanoemulsion in enhancing oil recovery, and an additional recovery of 17.36% was observed after subsequent water flooding. The prepared nanoemulsion with reversible charge has good application prospects in petroleum recovery.

// Dan Qin 1, * , Yi Yan 1, * , Bian Hu 2, * , Wanpo Zhang 1 , Hanmin Li 3 , Xiaodong Li 3 , Shenghui Liu 1 , Depeng Dai 1 , Xiongji Hu 1 , Xingxu Huang 2 and Lisheng Zhang 1 1 College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Huazhong Agricultural, Wuhan 430070, People’s Republic of China 2 School of Life Science and Technology, Shanghai Tech University, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 201210, People’s Republic of China 3 Hepatic Disease Institute, Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430061, People’s Republic of China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Lisheng Zhang, email: lishengzhang@mail.hzau.edu.cn Keywords: rat; Wisp2; Cxcr4; BMSCs; homing Received: June 10, 2017 Accepted: October 02, 2017 Published: October 24, 2017 ABSTRACT Liver regeneration/repair is a compensatory regrowth following acute liver failure, and bone marrow-derived mesenchyme stem cell (BMSC) transplantation is an effective therapy that promotes liver regeneration/repair. Wnt1 inducible signaling pathway protein 2 (Wisp2) is highly expressed in BMSCs, however, its function remains unclear. In this work, we used clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated protein -9 nuclease (CRISPR/Cas9) genome editing technology to knockdown Wisp2 in BMSCs, and these modified cells were then transplanted into rats which were induced by the 2-AAF/PH. By linking the expression of Cas9 to green fluorescent protein (GFP), we tracked BMSCs in the rats. Disruption of Wisp2 inhibited the homing of BMSCs to injured liver and aggravated liver damage as indicated by remarkably high levels of ALT and AST. Moreover, the key factor in BMSC transplantation, C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (Cxcr4), was down-regulated in the Wisp2 depleted BMSCs and had a lower expression in the livers of the corresponding rats. By tracing the GFP marker, more BMSCs were observed to differentiate into CD31 positive endothelial cells in the functional Wisp2 cells but less in the Wisp2 gene disrupted cells. In summary, Wisp2 promotes the homing of BMSCs through Cxcr4 related signaling during liver repair in rats.

Arsenic (As) is ubiquitously present in the environment. The toxicity of As is related to its forms. This study was designed to compare the translocation and transformation of four As species from soil to rice, and metabolism in rats for four arsenic species. A set of 26550 data was obtained from pot experiments of rice plants grown in soil fortified with four As species, and 4050 data were obtained from rat experiments in which 81 rats were administered with the four As species. The total As in grain from the methyl arsenate fortified soil was 6.1, 4.9, and 5.2 times that from As(III), As(V), and dimethyl arsenate fortified soil, respectively. The total As in husk was 1.2-7.8 times greater than that in grain. After oral administration of each As species to rats, 83-96% was accumulatively excreted via feces and urine, while 0.1-16% was detected in blood. The translocation, transformation, and metabolism of different forms of arsenic vary greatly.

Primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC) is a common malignant tumor in China. Cancer is comprehensively treated with various therapeutic regimes, including traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). TCM has been widely used to improve the quality of life, delay the time of cancer progression, and prolong the median survival time. This systematic review with meta-analysis aimed to assess the effect of TCM combined with Western therapy on primary hepatic carcinoma. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in six databases, including CNKI, VIP, Wan-Fang Database, CBM, PubMed, and Cochrane library. A total of 44 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 3429 participants suffering from PHC were selected. Meta-analysis results indicated that the overall effect of TCM and Western integrative treatment on PHC was higher than that of Western intervention alone, which can postpone tumor recurrence and metastasis and prolong the overall survival time of patients with PHC. Although the obtained evidence remained weak because of the poor methodological quality of the included studies, this review provided relevant data supporting the efficacy and safety of TCM combined with Western therapies. In future research, individual RCT studies should incorporate accepted standards for trial design and reporting, proper outcome indicators according to international standards, blinding in allocation concealment, and valid follow-up periods.

Curcumin is a hydrophobic polyphenolic compound extracted from the rhizome ofCurcuma longaand shows a line of active biological functions, but its application has been limited and questioned because of its low solubility, low bioavailability, and rapid metabolism. In terms of antitumor effect, these disadvantages can be overcome by intratumoral injection. In this study, we present the intratumoral injection of curcumin and glycyrrhetinic acid-modified curcumin-loaded cationic liposome (GAMCLCL) in H22 tumor-bearing mice. The experimental results demonstrated that curcumin exhibited positive antitumor activities in vitro and in vivo by intratumoral injection, but its activities were much weaker than GAMCLCL and adriamycin. Compared with free curcumin, GAMCLCL showed much better effects in improving the blood parameters (WBC, RBC, PLT, ALT, CRE, and LDH), inhibiting tumor growth, reducing tumor microvascular density, downregulating the expression of VEGF-protein and mRNA, and upregulating the expression of caspase-3 protein and mRNA in H22 tumor tissues. Under the experimental conditions of this study, the antitumor effect of high-dose GAMCLCL was similar to adriamycin. In conclusion, the experimental results demonstrated that free curcumin possessed definite antitumor efficacy, but its antitumor activities were weaker, and some strategies should be adopted to overcome its disadvantages, improve, and ensure its clinical efficacy.

The reasons for the relationship between depression and chronic liver disease (CLD) are complex and multifactorial. Further research is needed to decipher the etiology and establish an optimal management approach for depression in patients, including the potential role of non-pharmacological treatments. monosodium glutamate (MSG)-treated rats are more likely to develop anxiogenic- and depressive-like behaviors, which could be related to the dysfunction of serotonergic system. In this study, partial hepatectomy (PH) was performed in MSG-treated rats and the histopathological changes were observed in orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and liver. The effect of escitalopram, a widely used antidepressant, on neural and liver injury in this model was also examined. The MSG + PH-treated rats displayed decreased distances traveled in total, in center arena, and in the left side of arena in inner open field test (OFT), as compared to saline, saline + PH, and MSG-treated animals. The present study established that PH aggravated anxiety-like depressive behaviors in MSG-treated rats, concordant with damaged Nissl bodies (and neurites), decreased IBA-1 and Sox-2 expression in OFC and neurotransmitter disorder. Escitalopram treatment could alleviate these pathological changes as well as reduce hepatic steatosis and lipid metabolism.

Silicon (Si) and selenium (Se) are generally considered as contributing elements for plant resistance to abiotic stresses, especially for those in heavy-metal stressed environments. However, the mechanisms underlying the different roles of Si and Se in mitigating cadmium (Cd) stress in flowering Chinese cabbage ( Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis var. utilis ) are still poorly understood. Here, we investigated the comparative responses to Si and Se in relation to antioxidant enzyme system and the glutathione-ascorbate cycle in flowering Chinese cabbage plants under Cd stress. Addition of Si and/or Se at equivalent concentrations alleviated Cd toxicity as demonstrated by increasing plant tissue (shoots and roots) biomass and reducing plant tissue (leaves and roots) concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) in plants exposed to high Cd stress. Additionally, in comparison with the high Cd-alone treatment, the application of Si and/or Se significantly increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), while no differences in the size of these effects between Si and Se were observed at equal concentrations, suggesting that these three antioxidant enzymes were not the key factors involved in differences of Cd detoxification between Si and Se. Furthermore, the single addition of Se or in combined with Si markedly stimulated the efficiency of the GSH-AsA cycle by increasing the concentrations of glutathione (GSH) and ascorbate (AsA) as well as the activities of glutathione reductase (GR) and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) in plant tissues (leaves and roots), especially at high dose, while little changes were observed in the Si-alone treatment, indicating that Se has the greater ability of increasing the efficiency of GSH-AsA cycle rather than of Si exposed to Cd stress. Overall, our results reveal that Se-mediated alleviation of Cd toxicity is due to increasing antioxidant enzyme activities and the GSH-AsA cycle efficiency. However, Si mitigation may involve other mechanisms apart from increasing antioxidant enzyme activities.

The development of functional foods based on medicinal food ingredients has become a hot topic in China. Di Wu Yang Gan (DWYG) is a Chinese medicinal food that contains five dietary plants. Various health benefits, including anti-inflammation, liver regeneration regulation, have been reported, though the mechanism is not clear. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of DWYG on carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury (ALI) in embryonic liver L-02 cells and mice model. DWYG-medicated serum protected L-02 cells from carbon tetrachloride-induced damage, reduced the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in the culture medium, decreased the expression of Bax and increased the expression of Bcl-2. Mice study suggested that DWYG decreased the levels of malondialdehyde, ALT and AST. Together, these results suggest the hepatoprotective effects of DWYG against ALI and provide an experimental basis for the utilization of DWYG to treat liver damage.

At present, the chemotherapy of advanced inoperable liver cancer is limited with serious side effects. Curcumin possesses multiple cancer preventive activities and low safety concerns. However, its poor solubility and instability in water pose significant pharmacological barriers to its clinical application. In this study, we presented a novel delivery system – the glycyrrhetinic acid modified curcumin-loaded cationic liposomes (GAMCLCL) and investigated its antitumor activities on HepG2 cells in vitro and in H22 tumor-bearing mice. The experimental results demonstrated that GAMCLCL was a cationic liposome and could be Intravenous administration. Compared to free curcumin, GAMCLCL exhibited stronger antitumor activities in vitro and in vivo. The antitumor results of GAMCLCL after intravenous administration were very similar to those after intratumoral administration. The main activities of GAMCLCL and curcumin included inhibition of HepG2 cell proliferation, inhibition of tumor growth, reduction of tumor microvascular density, down-regulation of the expression of VEGF protein, and up-regulation of the expression of Caspases3 protein in H22 tumor tissues. Furthermore, GAMCLCL improved the parameters of WBC, RBC, ALT, CRE, LDH of H22 tumor-bearing mice. Curcumin is a nontoxic natural compound with definite antitumor activities, its antitumor effects can be enhanced by preparation of GAMCLCL.

Liver injury, one of the causes of liver failure, is mainly due to T-cell-mediated immunity. Traditional Chinese medicine Jiedu Huayu granules are often used to suppress liver damage and improve liver function. The specific regulatory mechanism of Jiedu Huayu granules has not been fully studied, and its function in the immune system remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, the mechanism of Jiedu Huayu granules in the prevention of hepatic injury was studied in a rat model of hepatic injury induced by D-galactoside and lipopolysaccharide. The cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in the peripheral blood were examined. Perforin, granule B, and PD1 expression in CTL increased after the induction of hepatic injury and could be reduced by Jiedu Huayu granules. Hepatic apoptotic factors OX62, FAS, and TNFR1 associated with CTL function were also reduced by Jiedu Huayu granules. These results suggested that Jiedu Huayu granules could inhibit the inflammatory response to relieve liver damage by mediating the T-cell immunity. Therefore, the discovery of the mechanism of action of Jiedu Huayu granules in the immune system could allow their use more effectively in clinical practice.

The development, progression, recurrence, and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are closely associated with an abnormal liver-regenerating microenvironment (LRM). Therefore, preventing and reversing an abnormal LRM is a potential therapeutic strategy against HCC. Studies are increasingly focusing on the impact of regeneration, fibrosis, angiogenesis, inflammation, immunomodulation, and hepatic stem cells on HCC development and progression. As a key epigenetic mechanism, DNA methylation is extensively involved in regulating physiological and pathological pathways. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the role of DNA methylation in the fibrotic, angiogenic, inflammatory/immune, and stem cell microenvironments of HCC, and discuss new advances in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) on influencing the abnormal LRM, so as to gain new insights into alleviating the abnormal LRM via regulating DNA methylation by TCM.

This study sought to determine the effect and explore the mechanism of the Chinese medicinal compound preparation Diwu Yanggan (DWYG) capsule on the occurrence and development of liver cancer using the Solt-Farber rat model. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly distributed into a normal group, sham group, DWYG group, sorafenib group, and model group. The DWYG group and sorafenib group were given DWYG capsule and sorafenib tablet, respectively, with induction of the model. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to detect liver pathological changes. The content of nuclear DNA in the liver was detected by Feulgen staining, and the expression of PCNA was detected by immunohistochemical staining. Molecular biology methods were used to detect the expression of liver regeneration-related factors and Ras/Raf/Mek/Erk signaling pathway-related proteins and mRNAs. HE staining showed that compared with those in the model group, the liver pathological changes in the DWYG group were significantly reduced (P0.05). The nuclear DNA content in the liver based on Feulgen staining and the expression of PCNA in the DWYG group was lower than that in the model group (P0.05). The expression of regeneration-related factors and Ras/Raf/Mek/Erk signaling pathway-related proteins and mRNAs was significantly lower in the DWYG group than in the model group (P0.05). In conclusion, DWYG capsules to some degree inhibit the occurrence and development of liver cancer in the Solt-Farber rat model, and the effect is not inferior to that of sorafenib. DWYG capsules likely delay the occurrence and development of liver cancer and improve the liver regeneration microenvironment by regulating the Ras/Raf/Mek/Erk signaling pathway and regeneration-related factors.

Diethylnitrosamine (DEN) is present in food, water, and daily supplies and is regarded as a toxicant of carcinogenicity. The developmental toxicity of DEN has been rarely reported as yet. In this study, zebrafish were exposed to different concentrations of DEN at 6 h post-fertilization (hpf) to access embryonic toxicity of the compound. The results show that DEN resulted in negative effects of hatching rate, heartbeat, body length, and spontaneous movement. Deformities, including notochord malformation, pericardium edema, embryonic membrane turbidity, tail hypoplasia, yolk sac deformity, and growth retardation, happened during exposure period. Moreover, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) significantly increased after DEN treatment. Then, alterations of the expression level of oxidative stress-related genes were observed in our results. To our knowledge, this is the first study concerning the effect of DEN on zebrafish. And from the information of our research, we speculated that development toxicity of DEN should be related to the excessive oxidative stress.

Introduction. To examine the protective effects of Liu Wei Di Huang Wan formula (LWDH) on liver and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) injuries in monosodium glutamate (MSG) and partial hepatectomy (PH) rat model. Methods. Neonatal Wistar rats were given MSG or saline on postnatal days 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. The rats were caged into five groups and treated accordingly at six weeks old as follows: Saline group, Saline+PH group, MSG group, MSG+PH group, and LWDH group (MSG+PH+LWDH). The PH was performed during week 8 by excision of the left and median hepatic lobes (occupying about 68% of whole liver).On day 8 after the PH, the rats were subjected to an inner OFT before being sacrificed. The liver and OFC were stained using H&E, ORO, or Nissl staining. The expression of neurotrophic factors (β-NGF, BDNF) was examined in the OFC lysates by ELISA. Serum levels of cytokines (IL-1β, VEGF) were examined using the Bio-Plex suspension array. Results. LWDH increased the total distance traveled by the animals (p p p p pp>0.05) and decreased hepatic steatosis (pβ (p>0.05), while it increased VEGF (p>0.05) expression. LWDH administration increased the expression of BDNF (p>0.05) and β-NGF (p>0.05) in the OFC, all as compared to the MSG+PH group. Conclusion. LWDH partly protected the animals from depressive-like behaviors in the MSG+PH-induced liver regeneration neonatal rat model. LWDH alleviated hepatic injury and steatosis and, furthermore, protected the Nissl body integrity and the growth of neurites.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant types of cancer, with a high mortality rate. Sorafenib is the sole approved oral clinical therapy against advanced HCC. However, individual patients exhibit varying responses to sorafenib and the development of sorafenib resistance has been a new challenge for its clinical efficacy. The current study identified gene biomarkers and key pathways in sorafenib-resistant HCC using bioinformatics analysis. Gene dataset GSE73571 was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, including four sorafenib-acquired resistant and three sorafenib-sensitive HCC phenotypes. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using the web tool GEO2R. Functional and pathway enrichment of DEGs were analyzed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins and Cytoscape. A total of 1,319 DEGs were selected, which included 593 upregulated and 726 downregulated genes. Functional and pathway enrichment analysis revealed DEGs enriched in negative regulation of endopeptidase activity, cholesterol homeostasis, DNA replication and repair, coagulation cascades, insulin resistance, RNA transport, cell cycle and others. Eight hub genes, including kininogen 1, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, apolipoprotein C3, alpha 2-HS glycoprotein, erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2, secreted protein acidic and cysteine rich, vitronectin and vimentin were identified from the PPI network. In conclusion, the present study identified DEGs and key genes in sorafenib-resistant HCC, which further the knowledge of potential mechanisms in the development of sorafenib resistance and may provide potential targets for early diagnosis and new treatments for sorafenib-resistant HCC.

Liver fibrosis is a wound healing response initiated by inflammation responding for different iterative parenchymal damages caused by diverse etiologies. Immune cells, which exert their ability of either inducing injury or promoting repair, have been regarded as crucial participants in the fibrogenic response. A characteristic feature of the fibrotic microenvironment associated with chronic liver injury is aberrant activation of hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway. Growing evidence from a number of different studies in vivo and in vitro has indicated that immune-mediated events involved in liver fibrogenesis are regulated by Hh signaling pathway. In this review, we emphasize the impacts of injury-activated Hh signaling on liver fibrogenesis through modulating repair-related inflammation and focus on the regulatory action of aberrant Hh signaling on repair-related inflammatory responses mediated by hepatic classical and non-classical immune cell populations in the progression of liver fibrosis. Moreover, we also assess the potentiality of Hh pathway inhibitors as good candidates for anti-fibrotic therapeutic agents because of their immune regulation actions for fibrogenic liver repair. The identification of immune-modulatory mechanisms of Hh signaling pathway underlying the fibrotic process of chronic liver diseases might provide a basis for Hh-centered therapeutic strategies for liver fibrosis.

Curcumin is an active component of turmeric, which is derived from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa. Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) is a natural compound extracted from liquorice. Both curcumin and GA are widely used as anticancer agents for treating many human cancers. In this study, curcumin and GA were used separately and in combination to treat human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) HepG2 cells. MTT assays were used to evaluate cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was carried out to measure cell apoptosis and determine cell cycle progression. Western blot analyses were applied to determine the expression levels of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), B-cell associated X protein (Bax), phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), phosphorylated phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (Akt). The results showed that combined treatment with curcumin and GA resulted in a significant reduction in proliferation and an increase in apoptosis and G1 cell cycle arrest in HepG-2 cells. A xenograft tumour model showed that curcumin and GA suppressed HCC development in vivo. Moreover, by knocking down the expression of PTEN, we confirmed that curcumin and GA exert their anticancer effects by inhibiting the PTEN/PI3K/Akt signalling pathway. Collectively, these results indicate that the combination of curcumin and GA could effectively inhibit the development of HepG2 cells by inhibiting PTEN/PI3K/Akt signalling and could be a promising treatment strategy for patients with HCC.