Abstract:Objective:To investigate the mechanism of arsenic trioxide (As2O3),the main component of Arsenic (Chinese medicine),inhibiting the growth,invasion and migration of Hela cells of cervical cancer, and to observe the effects of As2O3 on the expression of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) and E-cadherin in Hela cells of cervical cancer, and the synergistic effect of HDAC1 inhibitor Vorinostat (SAHA). Methods: The oncomine database was used to investigate the expression differences of CDH1 gene in cervical cancer tissues with and without distant metastasis. Cervical cancer Hela cells were used as carriers, and were randomly divided into four groups: the blank control group, the As2O3 group, the SAHA group and the As2O3+SAHA group. CCK-8 method was used to determine the inhibition of different drug concentrations on Hela cell growth, and the subsequent experimental drug concentrations were screened; Transwell method and scratch method were used to detect the effects of various medicine on invasion and migration ability of Hela cells; real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction and protein Western blotting methods were used to detect the protein and mRNA expression of HDAC1 and E-cadherin. Results: The Hela cell activity gradually decreased with the increasing drug concentration in each group. The Hela cell activity in the As2O3 group,the SAHA group and the As2O3+SAHA group were all lower than that in the blank control group (P<0.05). The numbers of cells crossing the Transwell chamber membrane in the As2O3group, the SAHA group and the As2O3+SAHA group were all lower than that in the blank control group (P<0.05); the number of cells in the As2O3+SAHA group was lower than those in the As2O3 group and the SAHA group (P<0.05); the number of cells in the As2O3 group was lower than that in the SAHA group (P<0.05). The percentages of migration of Hela cells in the As2O3 group, the SAHA group and the As2O3+SAHA group were lower than that in the blank control group (P<0.05);the percentage of migration of Hela cells in the As2O3+SAHA group was lower than those in the As2O3 group and the SAHA group (P<0.05); the percentage of migration of Hela cells in the As2O3 group was lower than that in the SAHA group (P<0.05). The HDAC1 mRNA expression levels in the As2O3 group,the SAHA group and the As2O3+SAHA group were lower than that in the blank control group (P<0.05);the HDAC1 mRNA expression level in the As2O3 group was higher than that in the SAHA group (P<0.05); the level in the As2O3+SAHA group was lower than those in the As2O3 group and the SAHA group (P<0.05). The mRNA expression levels of E-cadherin in the As2O3 group, the SAHA group, and the As2O3+SAHA group were all higher than that in the blank control group (P<0.05);the mRNA expression level of E-cadherin in the As2O3+SAHA group was higher than that in the As2O3 group and the SAHA group (P<0.05). The HDAC1 protein expression levels in the As2O3 group, the SAHA group and the As2O3+SAHA group were lower than that in the blank control group (P<0.05);the HDAC1 protein expression level in the As2O3+SAHA group was lower than those in the As2O3 group and the SAHA group (P<0.05). The E-cadherin protein expression levels in the As2O3 group,the SAHA group and the As2O3+SAHA group were higher than that in the blank control group (P<0.05);the E-cadherin protein expression level in the As2O3+SAHA group was higher than those in the As2O3 group and the SAHA group (P<0.05). Conclusion: The optimal concentration of As2O3 to inhibit Hela cells is 8 μmol/L, and when combined with SAHA,the optimal inhibitory concentration is 4 μmol/L. As2O3 can inhibit the expression of HDAC1, promote the expression of E-cadherin, and play a synergistic role with SAHA to inhibit the growth,invasion and migration of Hela cells.