Abstract: Objective The effect of knockdown of AKT expression on the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its regulation was analyzed. Methods SMMC-7721 Cell line was transfected with recombinant lentivirus contained a HIF-1 siRNA and/or AKT siRNA. Then, the transfection efficiency was observed by inverted fluorescence microscope, the cell growth inhibition rate was detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), the expression level of HIF-1 protein was detected by Western blot, and the protein expression of HIF-1 was analyzed statistically. Results SMMC-7721 cells was transfected with siRNA-lentivirus with ≥90% efficiency. The inhibition rate of HIF1-siRNA group, AKT-siRNA group, and HIF1-AKT-siRNA group decreased significantly as compared to the siRNA-NC group (P<0.05), and the expression of HIF-1 proteins was significantly higher. On the other hand, the inhibition rate of HIF1-AKT-siRNA group was significantly higher as compared to the HIF1-siRNA group and AKT-siRNA group, and the expression of HIF-1 proteins decreased significantly (P<0.05). while the inhibition rate in the HIF1-siRNA group was significantly higher as compared to the AKT-siRNA group, and the expression of HIF-1 proteins decreased significantly. There is a negative correlation between the expression of HIF-1 protein and the inhibition rate of cell proliferation (r=-0.874, P<0.05). Conclusion The downregulation of HIF-1 or AKT expression inhibits the cell proliferation in SMMC-7721 cells. HIF-1 plays a vital role in the cell proliferation in human hepatoma cell, down-regulation of HIF-1 protein expression can inhibit human hepatoma cell proliferation. The knockout of AKT resultes in downregulation of the protein expression of HIF-1 and intervenes on the proliferation of human hepatocellular carcinoma synergizing with down-regulation of HIF-1.

Key words: Key words: SMMC-7721, Akt, HIF-1, siRNA, cell proliferation