Abstract: Objective To investigate how the safflower polysaccharides(SPS)regulate the apoptosis of human gastric cancer cell by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.Methods We used MTT colorimetric method to observe the proliferation of human gastric cancer cell(SGC-790)in vitro and used flow cytometry(FCM)to analysis the apoptosis of the SGC-790 Cell.The expression of the protein kinase B(Akt)was detected by real-time quantitative RT-PCR and Western Blot,respectirely.Results SPS strongly inhibited gastric carcinoma cell line SGC-7901 to proliferate,and this inhibition relied on time and dosage conspicuously.Analyzed with flow cytometry,SGC-7901 cell treated with SPS for 24 hours showed increased percentage of early time apoptosis,cell necrosis and late time apoptosis,and took on dose dependence.Detected by real-time PCR and Western blot,expression of gene and protein of BCL-2 and Akt decreased and that of gene and protein of BAX increased in the cells treated with SPS.Conclusion SPS can inhibit human gastric carcinoma cell to proliferate,and this inhibition has time and dose dependence.SPS can cut down the expression of gene and protein of Akt.SPS restrain Akt pathways which may play antitumor function.