OBJECTIVE：To study the effects of sulforaphane on the prolifera tion and apoptosis of human renal tubular epithelial cells HK- 2 induced by high glucose ，and to investigate its mechanism primarily. METHODS ：HK-2 cells were divided into normal group ，high glucose group ，irbesartan group （positive control ，1 μmol/L），sulforaphane low ，medium and high concentration groups （10，20，40 μmol/L）. The cells in normal group were cultured in DMEM medium for 96 hours. T he cells in other groups were cultured in high glucose DMEM medium （containing 40 mmol/L glucose ）for 48 hours. After inducing cell injury，the cells were added with corresponding drugs for 48 hours. Survival rate and apoptotic rate of cells were detected. mRNA expression of cyclin D 1，caspase-3，Bcl-2 and Bax as well as protein expression of p-mTOR ，p-AMPK，p-Akt and p-PI 3K were also determined. In addition ，HK-2 cells were divided into normal group ，high glucose group ，sulforaphane high concentration group（40 μmol/L），acardicin group （AMPK agonist ，1 mmol/L），sulforaphane high concentration+compound C group （sulforaphane 40 μmol/L+AMPK inhibitor compound C 40 μmol/L），perifoxine group （Akt inhibitor ，19.95 μmol/L）、sulforaphane high concentration+SC 79 group（sulforaphane 40 μmol/L+Akt agonist SC79 4 μmol/L）. After cultured with the same method ， protein expression of p-mTOR ，p-AMPK，p-Akt and p-PI 3K were detected in HK- 2 cells. RESULTS ：Compared with normal group，survival rate of HK- 2 cells，mRNA expression of cyclin D 1 and Bcl- 2 as well as protein expression of p-AMPK were decreased significantly in high glucose group （P＜0.05）；apoptotic rate ，mRNA expression of caspase- 3 and Bax ，protein expression of p-mTOR ，p-Akt and p-PI 3K in HK- 2 cells were increased significantly （P＜0.05）. Compared with high glucose group，above indexes of sulforaphane low ，medium and high concentration groups ，irbesartan group were all improved significantly （P＜0.05）；the improvement of above indexes in sulforaphane medium and high concentration groups were significantly better those of sulforaphane low concentration group （P＜0.05）. There was no significant difference in above indexes between sulforaphane high concentration group and irbesartan group （P＞0.05）. Compared with sulforaphane high concentration group，there were no significant difference in the protein expression of p-AMPK ，p-mTOR in acardicin group and p-mTOR ，p-Akt and p-PI 3K in perifoxine group （P＞0.05）；the protein expression of p-AMPK in sulforaphane high concentration+compound C group was decreased significantly （P＜0.05），while the protein expression of p-mTOR was increased significantly （P＜0.05）；the protein expression of p-mTOR 、p-Akt、p-PI3K in sulforaphane high concentration+SC 79 group were increased significantly （P＜ 0.05）. CONCLUSIONS ：Sulforaphane can promote the proliferation of renal tubular epithelial cells and inhibit its apoptosis ；its mechanism may be associated with up-regulating the expression of p-AMPK and down-regulating the expression of p-mTOR ，p-Akt and p-PI 3K.