AKT1 and hepatocellular carcinoma: To further investigate the functions of the TGF-β/Smad and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways in TGF-β1-induced EMT in HCC cells, these cells were treated with isoviolanthin (20 μM), the TGF-β/Smad inhibitor SB431542 (20 μM), or the PI3K/Akt inhibitor LY294002 (20 μM).