Objective To investigate the effect and the possible mechanism of osthole on proliferation and apopotosis of human cervical carcinoma Hela cells and its passible mechanism.Methods After cervical carcinoma Hela cells were incubated with different concentrations osthole,the cell proliferation activity was examined by MTT assay.The apoptosis rate and cellular ROS level were measured by flow cytometry.The Bcl-2 and Bax mRNA expression was determined by semi-quantitative RT-PCR.Results In comparison with the control group,osthole with different concentrations could obviously inhibit the Hela cells proliferation and accelerated the cellular apoptosis,lowered the expression rate of Bcl-2/Bax,raise the cellular ROS level in a osthole dose-dependent manner.Conclusion Osthole may inhibit Hela cell proliferation and accelerates the cells apoptosis,which might be associated with the increasing the cellular ROS level,promoting Bax expression and inhibiting Bcl-2 expression.