This study was aimed to investigate the effect of berberine on the proliferation and apoptosis of HL-60 cells, and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) in HL-60 cells. Berberine (6 - 96 µg/ml) was added to the HL-60 cell line culture medium, the CCK-8 method was used to reveal the inhibitory effect on cell proliferation, the flow cytometry was used to determine the apoptosis rate and cell cycle in HL-60 cells treated with berberine. The expression of VEGFR2 mRNA and protein were examined by RT-PCR and Western blot respectively. The results showed that the berberine inhibited the proliferation of HL-60 cells and induced their apoptosis in dose- and time-dependent manners. With the increased concentration of berberine, the percentage of HL-60 cells in G(1) phase of cycle increased significantly, and the percentage of HL-60 cells in S phase decreased significantly. The expression of mRNA and protein of VEGFR2 decreased with the increased concentration of berberine. It is concluded that the berberine can inhibit HL-60 cell proliferation and induce HL-60 cell apoptosis. The expression of mRNA and proteins of VEGFR2 decreased after treatment with berberine.