α-Cyanostilbene-based Molecule with the Synergistical Mechanisms of AIE, ESIPT and TICT: A New Schiff Base Probe for Selective Detection of Fe3+ and Reversible Response to HCl/NH3 Vapor.

We designed and synthesized a new Schiff base probe, which incorporated the salicylaldehyde-analogue α-cyanostilbene and benzophenone hydrazone by the imine linkage. Its chemical structure was verified by FT-IR, MALDI-TOF-MS, HR-MS and 1H/13C NMR technologies. It could exhibit a red fluorescence based on the synergistical effects of aggregation-induce emission (AIE), excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) and twisted intramolecular charge-transfer (TICT) in the aggregation or solid states. Interestingly, the TLC-based test strip loaded with the target compound showed the reversible fluorescence response to amine/acid vapor and on-site visual fluorescence quenching response to Fe3+. In THF/water mixtures (fw = 90%, 10 µM, pH = 7.4), the detection limit (DL) and the binding constant (Ka) of the developed probe towards Fe3+ were evaluated as 5.50 × 10- 8 M and 1.69 × 105, respectively. The developed probe was successfully applied for the detection of Fe3+ with practical, reliable, and satisfying results.

Identification of Pancreatic Metastasis Cells and Cell Spheroids by the Organelle-Targeting Sensor Array.

Pancreatic cancer is a highly malignant and metastatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer can lead to liver metastases, gallbladder metastases, and duodenum metastases. The identification of pancreatic cancer cells is essential for the diagnosis of metastatic cancer and exploration of carcinoma in situ. Organelles play an important role in maintaining the function of cells, the various cells show significant differences in organelle microenvironment. Herein, six probes are synthesized for targeting mitochondria, lysosomes, cell membranes, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and lipid droplets. The six fluorescent probes form an organelles-targeted sensor array (OT-SA) to image pancreatic metastatic cancer cells and cell spheroids. The homology of metastatic cancer cells brings the challenge for identification of these cells. The residual network (ResNet) model has been proven to automatically extract and select image features, which can figure out a subtle difference among similar samples. Hence, OT-SA is developed to identify pancreatic metastasis cells and cell spheroids in combination with ResNet analysis. The identification accuracy for the pancreatic metastasis cells (> 99%) and pancreatic metastasis cell spheroids (> 99%) in the test set is successfully achieved respectively. The organelles-targeting sensor array provides a method for the identification of pancreatic cancer metastasis in cells and cell spheroids.

High-strength, antifogging and antibacterial ZnO/carboxymethyl starch/chitosan film with unique "Steel Wire Mesh" structure for strawberry preservation.

In this work, a multifunctional preservative film of ZnO/carboxymethyl starch/chitosan (ZnO/CMS/CS) with the unique "Steel Wire Mesh" structure is fabricated by the chemical crosslinked of ZnO NPs, CMS and CS. Unlike traditional nano-filled polymer film, the formation of the "Steel Wire Mesh" structure of ZnO/CMS/CS film is based on the synergistic effect of ZnO NPs filled CMS/CS and the coordination crosslinked between CMS/CS and Zn2+ derived from ZnO NPs. Thanks to the "Steel Wire Mesh" structure, the tensile strength and water vapor barrier of 2.5ZnO/10CMS/CS film are 2.47 and 1.73 times than that of CS film, respectively. Furthermore, the transmittance of 2.5ZnO/10CMS/CS film during antifogging test is close to 89 %, confirming its excellent antifogging effects. And the 2.5ZnO/10CMS/CS film also exhibits excellent long-acting antibacterial activity (up to 202 h), so it can maintain the freshness and appearance of strawberries at least 5 days. More importantly, the 2.5ZnO/10CMS/CS film is sensitive to humidity changes, which achieves real-time humidity monitoring of the fruit storage environment. Note that the preparation method of the film is safe, simple and environmentally friendly, and its excellent degradation performance will not bring any problems of food safety and environmental pollution.

Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe for the In Situ Visualization of Oxidative Stress in the Brains of Neuroinflammatory and Schizophrenic Mice.

Schizophrenia is a common mental disorder with unclear mechanisms. Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation play important roles in the pathological process of schizophrenia. Superoxide anion (O2•-) is an important oxidative stress biomarker in vivo. However, due to the existence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), few near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probes have been used for the sensing and detection of O2•- in the brain. With this research, we developed the first near-infrared fluorescent probe (named CT-CF3) for noninvasive detection of endogenous O2•- in the brain of mice. Enabling fluorescence monitoring of the dynamic changes in O2•- flux due to the prolonged activation of microglia in neuroinflamed and schizophrenic (SZ) mice brains, thereby providing direct evidence for the relationship between oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and schizophrenia. Furthermore, we confirmed the O2•- burst in the brains of first-episode schizophrenic mice and assessed the effect of two atypical antipsychotic drugs (risperidone and olanzapine) on redox homeostasis.

The Synergistic Mechanisms of AIE, ESIPT and ICT in the α-cyanostilbene-based Derivative: A Red-fluorescence Probe With a Large Stokes' Shift for Copper (II) Ion Determination and Reversible Response to Amine/acid Vapor.

Herein, α-cyanostilbene-based luminogen with an electron donor-π-electron acceptor (D-π-A) architecture was formylated into the salicylaldehyde-analogue luminogen, followed by the Schiff base reaction with phenylamine, a red-emitting luminogen was elaborately designed and successfully synthesized in a high yield of 89%. Its well-defined structure was confirmed by FT-IR, MALDI-TOF-MS, HR-MS and 1H/13C NMR technologies. Based on the synergistic mechanisms of aggregation-induced emission (AIE), excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), it enjoyed a red-fluorescence emission at 627 nm in THF/water mixtures (fw = 95%) and was used as a probe. Moreover, the TLC-based test strips loaded with the probe not only exhibited the reversible fluorescence response to amine/acid vapor but also showed sensitive and selective fluorescence response towards Cu2+. Furthermore, the fluorescence titration experiment between the probe and Cu2+ in THF/water mixtures (fw = 95%, pH = 7.4) revealed that the detection limit was 1.18 × 10-7 M and the binding constant was 1.59 × 105. Job's plot experiment and HR-MS analysis revealed the 2:1 binding stoichiometry of the probe with Cu2+. The method enabled real-time assessment for Cu2+ in real water samples. This study could offer insightful opinions on the development of long-wavelength emissive luminogens based on α-cyanostilbene.

Recent progress in the development of fluorescent probes for imaging pathological oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress is closely related to the physiopathology of numerous diseases. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitrogen species (RNS), and reactive sulfur species (RSS) are direct participants and important biomarkers of oxidative stress. A comprehensive understanding of their changes can help us evaluate disease pathogenesis and progression and facilitate early diagnosis and drug development. In recent years, fluorescent probes have been developed for real-time monitoring of ROS, RNS and RSS levels in vitro and in vivo. In this review, conventional design strategies of fluorescent probes for ROS, RNS, and RSS detection are discussed from three aspects: fluorophores, linkers, and recognition groups. We introduce representative fluorescent probes for ROS, RNS, and RSS detection in cells, physiological/pathological processes (e.g., Inflammation, Drug Induced Organ Injury and Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury etc.), and specific diseases (e.g., neurodegenerative diseases, epilepsy, depression, diabetes and cancer, etc.). We then highlight the achievements, current challenges, and prospects for fluorescent probes in the pathophysiology of oxidative stress-related diseases.

Preparation, AIE and ESIPT behaviour, controllable solid-state fluorescence and application of Co2+probe based onα-cyanostilbene.

A simpleα-cyanostilbene-functioned salicylaldehyde-based Schiff-base probe, which exhibited outstanding 'aggregation-induced emission and excited state intramolecular proton transfer (AIE + ESIPT)' emission in solution, aggregation and solid states, was synthesized in high yield of 87%. Its solid-states with different morphologies emitted different fluorescence after crystallization in EtOH/H2O (1/2, v/v) mixtures or pure EtOH solvent. Besides, it exhibited an obvious spectro-photometrical fluorescence quenching for highly selective sensing of Co2+in THF/water system (ƒw= 60%, pH = 7.4), accompanied by an intense green fluorescence turn-off behavior under UV365nmillumination. The binding stochiometry between the ligand and Co2+was found to be 2:1, and the detection limit (DL) was calculated to be 0.41 × 10-8M. In addition, it could be applied to detect Co2+in real water samples and on silica gel testing strip.

The Schiff Base Probe With J-aggregation Induced Emission for Selective Detection of Cu2.

Here, three Schiff bases 3a-c, differing by the substitutions (-H, -Cl, and -N(CH3)2) on the phenyl ring, have been designed and synthesized via the reaction of ortho-aminophenol with benzaldehyde, 2,4-dichlorobenzaldehyde and para-dimethylamine benzaldehyde in 1:1 molar ratio with favourable yields of 89-92%, respectively. Their structural characterizations were studied by FT-IR, NMR, MALDI-MS and elemental analysis. The fluorescence behaviours of compounds 3a and 3b exhibited a severe aggregation caused quenching (ACQ) effect in EtOH/water system. On the contrary, compound 3c had an obvious J-aggregation induced emission (AIE) feature in EtOH/water mixture (v/v = 1:1), and exhibited excellent sensitivity and anti-interference towards Cu2+ with the limit of detection (LOD) of 1.35 × 10-8 M. Job's plot analysis and MS spectroscopic study revealed the 2:1 complexation of probe 3c and Cu2+. In addition, probe 3c was successfully applied to the determination of Cu2+ in real aqueous samples.

Fluorescein-bridged Perylene Bisimide Dimer for Use as Liquid Crystal: Studies on Mesomorphic and Fluorescence Properties.

A novel fluorescein-bridged perylene bisimide (PBI) dimer for liquid crystal (LC) with geometrically symmetric structure was developed. The mesomorphic results indicated that the energetically stable and unstable conformers of fluorescein fragments could lead to the transformation of mesophases from a hexagonal columnar mesophase to an uncertain phase at 136.9 °C in heating, whilst a stable hexagonal columnar mesophase maintained between 175.6 °C and 58.6 °C in cooling. The selectively excited fluorescence characters in THF solution demonstrated that the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) effect between fluorescein fragments and PBI unites could provide a means to effectively impose strong fluorescence of the dimeric PBIs modified with suitable chromophore at the N-imide position, which alternatively serves as a platform for the further study of multi-functional PBI-based LCs.

A Versatile Aggregation-induced Emission Fluorescent Probe for Visible Detection of pH.

By tactfully structuring a luminescent molecule as an accurate pH probe with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) feature, it is significant to overcome aggregation-caused quenching of emitted light in practice. Herein, we present a simple AIE-active fluorescence probe for pH detection on the basis of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) with wide response range and high sensitivity reaction. The donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) style probe utilized a conjugated structural hybrid of the electron-withdrawing nitrile group and electron-donating hydroxyl as well as dimethylamino groups for fluorescent platform. The AIE-active probe possesses good fluorescence under water fraction up to 90% in mixed MeOH/water system. Furthermore, it can be used in profiling and visualization of pH detection in MeOH/water system at fw = 90% under UV 365 nm lamp. What's more, the probe can be employed to be a broad range test paper of pH detection, paving the way for low-cost practical applications.

Ultrabright Full Color Carbon Dots by Fine-Tuning Crystal Morphology Controllable Synthesis for Multicolor Bioimaging and Sensing.

In this paper, two kinds of novel carbon nanocrystals (CNCs) with different crystal morphologies (the branch-chain young sprout form (CM1) and conifer-pine form (CM2)) were obtained in a controllable way. The mechanism of crystal morphological development was explored well. When the two kinds of the CNCs were dissolved in different polar solvents, they voluntarily become "ultrafine crystals" at the moment. After that, the ultrabright full color carbon dots (UBFCCDs) have been preliminarily prepared by fine-controlling. With the evaporation of the solvents, the CNCs crystallized again, which could repeat back and forth many times. After the conditions of preparing for CDs were optimized carefully, the as-prepared CDs exhibit ultrabright effects of multiexcitation and multiemission (from blue to red) and can show unique up-conversion luminescence characteristics under a lower excitation wavelength of 660 nm instead of a near-infrared wavelength of 980 or 808 nm. Significantly, the QY% of the UBFCCDs can reach 78.0%, which is higher than that of the traditional hydrothermal methods of discarding precipitation and carrying out dialysis (QY% = 69.0%). The as-prepared CDs can be used for multicolor biomedical imaging in vivo and in vitro and metal ion sensing and also show their potential value for industrial applications.

Perylene Diimide-Based Electron-Transporting Material for Perovskite Solar Cells with Undoped Poly(3-hexylthiophene) as Hole-Transporting Material.

Perylene diimide-based small molecules are widely used as intermediates of liquid crystals, owing to their high planarity and electron mobility. In this study, tetrachloroperylene diimide (TCl-PDI) was used as a small-molecule replacement for TiO2 as electron-transporting material (ETM) for planar perovskite solar cells (PVSCs). Among hole-transporting materials (HTMs) for PVSCs, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) gives the devices the highest stability and reproducibility. Therefore, PVSCs with the structure of indium tin oxide (ITO)/ETM/perovskite/P3HT/MoO3 /Ag were used to evaluate the performances of new ETMs. A reference device with compact TiO2 and P3HT gave a reasonable power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 12.78 %, whereas the PVSC with TCl-PDI as ETM gave an enhanced PCE of 14.73 %, which is among the highest reported values for PVSCs with undoped P3HT as the HTM. Moreover, TCl-PDI-based devices displayed higher stability than those based on compact TiO2 , owing to the superior perovskite quality.

Perylene bisimide with diphenylacrylonitrile on side-chain: strongly fluorescent liquid crystal with large pseudo Stokes shift based on AIE and FRET effect.

A novel perylene bisimide (PBI) derivative with an AIE-active diphenylacrylonitrile unit positioned at the terminal N-imide position through a flexible spacer has been synthesized and characterized. The DSC, POM and XRD studies confirmed that it could self-assemble into a stable hexagonal columnar liquid-crystalline phase between 56 °C and 160 °C. This PBI derivative also exhibited strong fluorescence in solution, thin film and mesophase based on the cooperative mechanism of AIE and FRET between the diphenylacrylonitrile group and perylene moiety. The pseudo Stokes shift was as large as 283 nm, and the fluorescence quantum yields were as high as 0.62-0.79 in solution and 0.68-0.86 in solid state. This study provides a good strategy for converting the columnar liquid crystal with ACQ effect to one with the AIE effect, successfully filling the gap between the excellent columnar mesomorphic properties and strong fluorescence in solid state.

Lentivirus-mediated knockdown of P27RF-Rho inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth.

AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the effects of P27RF-Rho on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell growth and explore the possibility of using it as a novel therapeutic target for liver cancer treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: P27RF-Rho in HCC cells was silenced by lentivirus-mediated RNA interference, and the silencing effect was verified by RT-PCR. Cell proliferation was determined by MTT and clone formation assay. Cell cycle phase and apoptosis were detected through FACS. The expression level of cell growth, apoptosis, and metastasis associated genes was detected by quantitative PCR. RESULTS: Lentivirus-mediated P27RF-Rho knockdown inhibited HCC cell growth and clone formation. P27RF-Rho silence induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The mRNA level of genes associated with cell cycle, apoptosis, and invasion also significantly altered after P27RF-Rho knockdown. Cyclin A, CDK2, BCL-2, and MMP-9 were down-regulated. P27 and Bax were up-regulated. CONCLUSIONS: P27RF-Rho knockdown inhibits HCC cell growth, and P27RF-Rho is probably a promising target for HCC treatment.

Effects of Ras homolog gene family, member C gene silencing combined with rapamycin on hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the combined effects of inhibiting the Ras homolog gene family, member C (RhoC)/Rho kinase and phosphoinositide 3 kinase/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways on hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth. The RhoC gene was silenced by RNA interference (RNAi) and mTOR was inhibited by rapamycin (RAPA). Subsequently, an MTT assay for cell growth detection, western blot analysis for gene expression analysis, silver nitrate staining for cell proliferation, Wright's staining for analysis of the apoptotic rate analysis, soft agar clonogenic assay for the determination of cell growth characteristics and a Transwell assay for cell migration were performed. RhoC expression in hepatoma cell lines was lower than that in the HL7702 normal human liver cell line. The level of cell proliferation in the RNAi + RAPA group was lower than that in the RNAi, RAPA and Scramble groups. The levels of cyclin­dependent kinase 2 in the RNAi + RAPA group were lower than those in the other groups, while the levels of P16 in the RNAi + RAPA group were higher than those in the other experimental groups. No significant difference was found between the RNAi + RAPA and the normal HL7702 group. The number of silver nitrate­stained particles was reduced in the RNAi + RAPA group compared with that in the other groups. No significant difference was found between the RNAi + RAPA and HL7702 groups. Wright's staining for apoptosis demonstrated that apoptosis in the Scramble group was rare, while the RAPA and RNAi groups contained a large number of apoptotic cells, which displayed nuclear condensation, fragmentation, deepened staining, as well as a wrinkled membrane. B­cell lymphoma­2 (Bcl­2) expression in the RNAi + RAPA group was lower than that in the other groups, while the gene expression of Bcl­2­associated X protein in the RNAi + RAPA group was increased compared with that in the other groups. No cell colony formation was observed in the soft agar cloning experiment in the RNAi + RAPA and HL7702 group, while in the other groups, visible cell clones appeared. In the Transwell assay the number of migrated cells in the RNAi + RAPA group was lower than that in the other groups. The gene expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)2, MMP­9 and vascular endothelial growth factor in the RNAi + RAPA group was lower than that in the other experimental groups. In conclusion, RhoC gene silencing combined with RAPA was able to significantly inhibit the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Determination of 4-vinylgaiacol and 4-vinylphenol in top-fermented wheat beers by isocratic high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detector

This work aimed at determining 4-vinylguaiacol and 4-vinylphenol in the top-fermented wheat beers using different wavelength and the mobile phase for HPLC. Best results for isocratic elution were obtained at 260 nm and the mobile phase comprising methanol/ultrapure water/phosphoric acid (400/590/10, V/V). Under these conditions, the retention time of 4-vinylguaiacol and 4-vinylphenol was 25 and 27min, respectively.

Overexpression of Ras homologous C (RhoC) induces malignant transformation of hepatocytes in vitro and in nude mouse xenografts.

Ras homologous C (RhoC) is expressed in various cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we first analyzed RhoC expression in 46 HCC tissue specimens and found that RhoC expression was significantly increased in HCC tissues compared to the adjacent normal liver tissues. Next, we investigated the role of RhoC in malignant transformation of normal hepatocytes. The HL7702 cell line was stably transfected with a RhoC expression vector and then subjected to cell proliferation, differentiation, colony formation, migration and invasion assays, as well as nude mouse xenograft assays. Gene expressions in these cells were determined using RT-PCR and Western blot. Overexpression of RhoC significantly promoted proliferation and anchorage-independent growth of HL7702 cells, but suppressed cell differentiation, as compared with the parental cells and the empty vector-transfected control cells. Moreover, RhoC overexpression induced migration and invasion of HL7702 cells in vitro. Molecularly, RhoC increased the expression of cell cycle-related genes, matrix metalloprotease 2 (MMP2), MMP9 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). In addition, RhoC-transfected cells formed tumors in nude mice, whereas vector-transfected HL7702 cells did not form any tumors in nude mice. This study demonstrated the role of RhoC overexpression in malignant transformation of normal human hepatocytes, suggesting that RhoC may function as an oncogene in hepatocytes.

The role of RhoC in the proliferation and apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

In this study, we examined the effects of RhoC expression on the growth and apoptosis of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HCCs) in vitro in order to gain more understanding of its potential as a therapeutic target gene. We knocked down the endogenous expression levels of RhoC in human HCCs, BEL-7402, using siRNA and ectopically expressed RhoC in untransformed hepatocytes, HL7702. Stable cell lines were established, and cell growth was examined by MTT and colony formation assays, cell proliferation examined by silver nitrate staining of AgNORs, and cell cycle distribution examined by flow cytometry. RT-PCR analysis was performed to determine the mRNA expression levels of RhoC and cell cycle-related genes. Finally, the effect of RhoC expression on apoptosis was also examined by flow cytometry, agarose gel electrophoresis of fragmented DNA, Wright staining, and RT-PCR analysis for genes regulating apoptosis. Compared to the parental and control siRNA (siCtrl)-transfected BEL-7402 cells, the siRhoC-transfected cells exhibited significantly reduced cell growth, cell proliferation, percentage of cells in the S-G2/M phase, and expression of Cyclin D1, CDK4, and Bcl2. Knockdown of RhoC expression in BEL-7402 cells also significantly increased the percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase, cellular apoptosis, and expression of p21, p16, and Bax. Furthermore, ectopic expression of RhoC in HL7702 cells led to a significant increase in cell growth compared to parental or siCtrl-transfected cells. These data suggest that RhoC is a key regulator of cell growth and apoptosis in HCC cells, making it a potential target for gene therapy.

[Effect of RhoC on hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth and related molecular mechanisms].

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the role of RhoC in the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and its molecular mechanism, so as to explore the molecular target of tumor cell growth. METHODS: siRNA-RhoC plasmid was constructed and RhoC gene silencing the cell-line of hepatocellular carcinoma was setup. Cell growth was assessed by MTT assay. AgNORs staining was applied to determine cell proliferation. Plate cell clone test was conducted to examine the capacity of cell clone formation. FACS was adopted to measure the course of cell cycle and semi-quantitative RT-PCR was used to determine the expression of cell cycle proteins. In order to further determine the effect of RhoC expression on cell growth, a RhoC over-expression human hepatocellular cell line was setup by PcDNA3-RhoC plasmid transfection. RESULTS: The inhibition rate of RhoC was 82.3%. From the fourth day of cell culture, the growth of cells in RNAi group was significantly slower than that in parental Bel7402 and negative control groups (0.41 ± 0.10 vs. 0.73 ± 0.11 and 0.71 ± 0.07 respectively, P < 0.05). AgNORs staining showed that average cell stained particles in RNAi group was significantly lower than that in parental Bel7402 and negative control(1.23 ± 0.35 vs. 3.47 ± 0.93 and 3.17 ± 0.78, P < 0.01). Plate clone formation test showed that clone formation efficiency in the RNAi group was notably lower than that in the control group [(20.33 ± 5.42)% vs. (70.58 ± 10.10)% and (69.83 ± 14.77)%, respectively, P < 0.01]. Cell cycle analysis by FACS showed that G(0)/G(1) cell percentage in the RNAi group was significantly higher than that in the control group [(73.14 ± 5.93)% vs. (57.05 ± 5.97)% and (52.99 ± 4.80)%, P < 0.05]. Compared with Bel7402 and negative control groups, the expression of following growth associated genes was significantly decreased: cyclin D1(0.45 ± 0.21 vs. 1.25 ± 0.24 and 1.12 ± 0.15, respectively, P < 0.05)and CDK4 (0.55 ± 0.08 vs. 1.18 ± 0.32 and 1.10 ± 0.29, respectively, P < 0.05); the following genes were notably increased: p16(1.07 ± 0.23 vs. 0.36 ± 0.12 and 0.35 ± 0.13, respectively, P < 0.01)and p21(0.42 ± 0.12 vs. 0.17 ± 0.06 and 0.19 ± 0.08, respectively, P < 0.05). RhoC was highly expressed in PcDNA3-RhoC transfected hepatocellular cell line. From the third day on of the cell culture, cell growth in PcDNA3-RhoC group was remarkably higher than that in the HL7702 and PcDNA3 groups (0.83 ± 0.10 vs. 0.54 ± 0.11 and 0.58 ± 0.55, respectively, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: RhoC is the key molecule in promoting hepatocellular cell growth, and is a promising target for tumor cell growth controlling.