To gain a better understanding of the anticancer effects of hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanoparticles in vivo and in vitro, the effects of the interaction of HAP nanoparticles with hepatoma cells were explored. HAP nanoparticles were prepared by homogeneous precipitation and characterized by laser particle analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TENA). HAP nanoparticles were observed to be uniformly distributed, with rod-like shapes and diameters in the range of 42.1-87.1 nm. Overnight attached, suspended, and proliferating Bel-7402 cells were incubated with HAP nanoparticles. Inverted microscopy observation revealed that HAP nanoparticles with a cell membrane showed good adsorption. TEM demonstrated that HAP nanoparticles were present on the surface of cells, continuously taken up by cells through endocytosis, and transported in vesicles close to the nucleus. Fluorescence microscopy showed that the concentrations of intracellular Ca2+ labeled with Fluo-3 calcium fluorescent probe were significantly enhanced. In addition, inverted microscopy observation revealed that suspended cells treated with HAP nanoparticles did not adhere to the culture bottle, resulting in cell death. After the overnight attached cells were treated with HAP nanoparticles for 96 h with increasing doses of HAP nanoparticles, inverted microscopy observation revealed that cell proliferation was slowed and cell cell adhesion was weakened. Feulgen staining and image analysis indicated that the nuclear DNA content of the cells was markedly reduced, and argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region (AgNOR) staining and image analysis indicated that the number of AgNORs was significantly decreased. Therefore, hepatoma cells brought about the adsorption, uptake, transport and degradation of HAP nanoparticles. In addition, HAP nanoparticles affected hepatoma cells with regard to cell cell adhesion, cell and extracellular matrix adhesion, and DNA and protein synthesis; thus inhibiting cell proliferation. This understanding of the effects of interaction between HAP nanoparticles and hepatoma cells is useful for further study of the anticancer mechanisms of HAP nanoparticles.