Abstract:【Abstract】Objective To explore the effects of lidocaine on apoptosis, migration and invasion of liver cancer cells and its mechanism. Methods Liver cancer cells HepG2 were treated with different concentrations of lidocaine. Cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. The expressions of B cell lymphoma/leukemia2 (Bcl2), Bcl2 related X protein (Bax), Ecadherin and matrix metalloproteinase2 (MMP2) were analyzed by Western blot. Transwell chambers method was used to measure cell migration, and invasion, and qPCR was applied to test the expression of miR15a5p in cells. The cells were transfected with miR15a5p, or antimiR15a5p and treated with 01mmol/L lidocaine to investigate their effects on apoptosis, migration and invasion of HepG2 cells. Results Compared with the control group, 001, 01 and 1 mmol/L lidocaine greatly increased the apoptosis rate and the expression level of Bax protein (P<005), and significantly reduced the level of Bcl2 protein (P<005). 0.1 mmol/L lidocaine obviously decreased the number of migrating cells, the number of invading cells and the expression of MMP2 protein (P<005), while evidently improved the expression of Ecadherin protein and miR15a5p (P<005). The overexpression of miR15a5p markedly raised the apoptosis rate, the expression levels of Bax and Ecadherin proteins (P<005), and dramatically declined migrating cells, invading cells, the expression levels of Bcl2 and MMP2 proteins (P<005). Inhibition of miR15a5p reversed lidocaine's roles in promoting apoptosis of HepG2 cells, Bax and Ecadherin protein expression, and reversed its roles in inhibiting cell migration, invasion, Bcl2 and MMP2 protein expression. Conclusion Lidocaine inhibits the migration and invasion of liver cancer cells and induces apoptosis by regulating the expression of miR15a5p.