Abstract: Objective To investigate the effects of mitomycin magnetic polybutylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles (MMC-MPBCA-NP), magnetic polybutylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles (MPBCA-NP) and magnetic fluids (MF) and MMC on the proliferation and apoptosis of normal human liver cell strain (L-02 cells) in vitro. Methods The effect of MMC, MMC-MPBCA-NP, MPBCA-NP, and MF on the apoptosis and cell cycle of L-02 cells was studied by flow cytometry. The changes in the cell proliferation in response to treatments of the preparations and agents were examined by MTT colorimetric assay. Results MMC, MMC-MPBCA-NP, MPBCA-NP produced inhibition of the cell proliferation to different degrees but MF failed to result in cell proliferation inhibition. The results of MTT assay showed that MM, MPBCA-NP and MMC-MPBCA-NP all possessed concentration-dependent cytotoxicity, which increased with the concentration increment in comparison with the blank control. Conclusion The descending order of the 4 agents in their effect of L-02 cell strain growth inhibition is MF >MPBCA-NP>MMC-MPBCA-NP>MMC. MMC and MMC-MPBCA-NP can inhibit the proliferation and cause cell cycle changes of L-02 cells, while MPBCA-NP inhibits the cell proliferation without inducing cell cycle alterations.