ALB and hepatocellular carcinoma: To test the possibility that AMPK activation plays a critical role in HsA-mediated reduction of the viability of HCC cells, Huh7 and HepG2 cells were preincubated with 10 μM compound C (a chemical inhibitor of AMPK) for 1 h and subsequently exposed to 20 or 30 μM HsA for 48 h.