Abstract: Objective To investigate the apoptotic effect on human ovarian cancer cells by both Trichostatin A（TSA）and all-trans retinoic acid（ATRA）and synergistic effect. Methods SKOV-3 cells were treated by different group of TSA and ATRA. The inhibitory rate of proliferation and the apoptosis rate were examined. Western blot was introduced to evaluate the protein expression levels. Results The proliferation of SKOV-3 cells was significantly suppressed by TSA combined with ATRA and the difference was significant compared with other groups （P<0.05）. The apoptosis rate of combination group was higher than that of other groups and the difference was significant （P<0.05）. Conclusion TSA combination with ATRA induces cytotoxicity in ovarian cancer cells in vitro,and the effect was much more significant than other groups.

Key words: Trichostatin A, All-trans retinoic acid, Cell apoptosis, SKOV-3 cells