Additionally, we used immunofluorescence assay to detect the effects of ASP on the VEGF expression in HCC cells (SK-Hep1 and Hep-3B) under hypoxic conditions, and we found that the expression of VEGF at the protein level was significantly up-regulated in HCC cells upon hypoxic challenge compared with the normoxic conditions, while ASP could effectively suppress the expression of VEGF at the protein level in HCC cells under hypoxic conditions in a dose-dependent manner (Figure 2C). This evidence concerns the gene VEGFA and hepatocellular carcinoma.