Abstract: To study the effect of Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) on the proliferation,cell cycle and apoptosis of human lung cancer cell line NCI-H460,and to explore its relevant molecular mechanism to provide a new scientific basis for lung cancer treatment.NCI-H460 cells in logarithm growth phase were selected and cultured with different concentration of ISL.The cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay,while cell cycle and cell apoptosis were measured by cytometry assay.The mRNA expression of lung cancer related genes in NCI-H460 cells were determined by PCR array.The protein levels of p-p65,IκB α、IκB β Bax and Bcl-2 were detected by Western blot analysis.Then,the effect of ISL on the expression of NF-κB p65 was observed by immunofluorescence assay.The results showed that ISL could inhibit proliferation and induce cell cycle block,as well as cell apoptosis in NCI-H460 cells.The mechanism may be related with the inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway,by inhibiting the entry of NF-κB p65 into the nucleus,it failing to exert its transcriptional activity and ultimately affecting the expression of downstream apoptotic proteins Bax and Bcl-2.

Key words: isoliquiritigenin, lung cancer, NCI-H460, cell apoptosis, NF-κB