Mitochondria are increasingly recognized as important targets for tumor treatment because of their central roles in apoptotic pathways and cellular metabolism. Dichloroacetate （DCA）, a low molecular weight mitochondria-targeting agent, exhibits potential therapeutic effects for tumors. Based on the effects of DCA on tumor cellular metabolism, we carried out this study to investigate the anti-tumor activity of DCA in C6 glioma cells in vitro. The results showed that DCA was able to increase the activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase （PDH）, induce the production of reactive oxygen species （ROS） and reduce the mitochondrial membrane potential （MMP） in C6 ceils in vitro （P〈0.05 or 0.01）, indicating that the anti-tumor effects of DCA in C6 cells could be through the activation of the mitochondrial pathway. In conclusion, mitochondria could be a viable therapeutic target for the treatment of glioma.
