Objective:To establish a UVB damage cell model with HaCaT cells to investigate the protective effects of Zinc sulfate on the cell damage caused by UVB and its relevant mechanisms .Methods: The cells were divided into normal group , Zinc group,UVB group,Znic and UVB group.The addition of Zinc sulfate to the HaCaT cells was conducted 24h prior to the irradiation to the cells by UVB.Cell apoptosis was detected by Western blot and the expression of metallothionein and NF -κB/p65 were measured by im-munohistochemistry.Results:Compared with normal and Zn+UVB group, Bax/Bcl-2 rate in UVB group increased.Compared with normal group ,MT expression levels in UVB group ,Zn group increased ,and compared with UVB group ,MT expression level in Zn+UVB group increased .Compared with normal group and Zn+UVB group,NF-κB/p65 expression level in UVB group increased .Conclusion:Zinc sulfate alleviates the apoptosis of HaCaT cell induced by UVB because of the expression of MT .