Abstract: OBJECTIVE： To investigate the effects of licorice and dried ginger decoction (LDGD) on the viability and apoptosis of human renal carcinoma cells (769-P) and human urine-derived stem cells (hUSCs) in vitro. METHODS： hUSCs were isolated and cultured from fresh human urine using room temperature centrifugation. The growth status of hUSCs was observed，and their viability was measured using the MTT assay. Flow cytometry was employed to identify the expression of surface markers on hUSCs. The MTT assay was used to evaluate the effects of 2.5-40 mg/mL LDGD on the viability of 769-P and hUSCs cells after 24-72 hours，compared with the control group，and morphological changes in cells were observed. Flow cytometry was utilized to assess the apoptosis rate of 769-P and hUSCs cells after treatment with 10 mg/mL LDGD，and apoptosis rates were calculated. RESULTS： Cells with good morphology and high growth activity were obtained using room temperature centrifugation. hUSCs expressed mesenchymal stem cell surface markers CD44 and CD90，but did not express endothelial cell marker CD31 or hematopoietic stem cell marker CD34. LDGD at 5-10 mg/mL inhibited the viability of 769-P cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner after 24-72 hours，while promoting the viability of hUSCs. After 48 hours of treatment with 10 mg/mL LDGD，769-P cells exhibited significant shrinkage，reduced size，and decreased refractive index under an inverted microscope，whereas hUSCs showed no significant morphological changes. The apoptosis rate of 769-P cells was (11.93±0.51)% after 48 hours of treatment with 10 mg/mL LDGD，significantly higher than the control group，while the apoptosis rate of hUSCs was (0.01±0.10)%，showing no significant apoptosis compared to the control. CONCLUSION： Under the conditions of this experiment，LDGD inhibited the viability of human renal carcinoma cells in vitro and induced apoptosis，while promoting the viability of hUSCs without significantly inducing apoptosis. The effects of LDGD on the two types of cells were markedly different.

Key words: licorice and dried ginger decoction, renal carcinoma cells, human urine-derived stem cells, cell viability, apoptosis