Diabetic nephropathy (DN), which is characterized by mesangial cell proliferation, is a common complication observed in diabetic patients. The protective effects of quercetin for DN have been reported; however, the mechanism has yet to be determined. We aimed to identify the underlying mechanism for quercetin protection against DN. High glucose (HG)-induced human mesangial cell (HMC) proliferation, a feature of the early stages of diabetic nephropathy, was employed as an in vitro model. Cells were grown in normal glucose (5.6 mM), high glucose (30 mM) or high glucose with various concentrations of quercetin. Cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, and expression of NF-κB and MCP-1 were examined by MTT assay, DNA staining, immunocytochemistry and western blot analysis, respectively. HMCs cultured in high glucose had signficantly greater proliferation, accumulation in the G1 phase, upregulated NF-κB and MCP-1 expression. Quercetin treatment reversed the effects of high glucose in a dose-dependent manner. Cotreatment of quercetin with pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), an inhibitor of NF-κB activation, suggest that the effects of quercetin are partially mediated by NF-κB signaling. Quercetin partially suppresses the effects of high glucose in HMC cultures, which are mediated at least in part through the suppression of NF-κB.