EFFECT OF QUERCETIN ON THE IN-VITRO AND IN-VIVO GROWTH OF MOUSE HEPATOMA-CELLS

Quercetin has been reported to have tumor growth inhibition effect. We have examined the in vitro and in vivo effects of quercetin on the gr owth of ML-3 murine hepatoma cells. Our results showed that quercetin dose dependently inhibited the growth of ML-3 cells. Flow cytometric a nalysis showed that quercetin-treated cells were mainly arrested at G( 0)-G(1) phases of the cell cycle. For the in vivo experiment, BALB/c m ice were transplanted intrasplenicly with ML-3 hepatoma cells and fed with 2% quercetin in the diet. The survival of tumor-bearing mice and the size of hepatic tumor were recorded at 40 days after implantation of ML-3 cells. Significant increase in survival of tumor-bearing mice was found by quercetin treatment, all mice in the quercetin group surv ived to the end of the experiment while only 50% of the mice in contro l group survived. These results suggested that quercetin has potential for hepatoma treatment.