Objective To detect the effect of plumbagin on proliferation,apoptosis and invasion ofglioma cell lines,and investigate the underlying mechanism.Methods Glioma cell lines SWO-38 and U251 were routinely cultured in vitro,and treated with various concentrations of plumbagin (0-50 μmol/L) for 48 h; cell viability changes were detected by MTT assay,and median inhibitory concentration (IC50) was calculated; after 0,2.5,5 and 10 μmol/L plumbagin treatment for 48 h,cell apoptosis was detected by annexin V/propidium iodide double-labeled flow cytometry; scratch test was used to observe the cell invasion and migration; Western blotting was used to assess the SOX2 protein expression; MiR200b,miR200c,miR-203 and miR-21 expression changes were examined by real-time quantitative PCR.Results Plumbagin dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation of the glioma cells;the IC50 values ofplumbagin in SWO-38 and U251 cells were 6.8 and 7.4 μmol/L,respectively.After 0,2.5,5 and 10 μmol/L plumbagin treatment for 48 h,cell apoptosis ratio was gradually increased,and MiR200b,miR200c,miR-203 expressions gradually increased,with significant differences (P＜0.05).Cell invasion and migration in these two cell lines were decreased and the SOX2 protein expression was decreased.Conclusion Plumbagin inhibits cell growth,induces apoptosis,and decrease cell invasion and migration,which might be related to the increase ofmiR200b,miR200c and miR-203 expressions and the decrease of SOX2 protein expression.