In order to investigate the effect of non-medullar toxicity drug - all trans retinoid acid (ATRA) and cancer preventive trace element-selenium compound - sodium selenite (Na(2)SeO(3)) on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor in HL-60 cells, the expression of VEGF and its receptor in HL-60 cells were detected by ELISA technique and flow cytometry before and after treatment with two drugs. The results showed that the mean VEGF concentrations in the cultural supernatant of 5 and 10 micro mol/L ATRA-treated HL-60 cells for 48 and 72 hours were lower than those of the control group without adding ATRA. The differences between the ATRA-treated groups and the control group were statistically significant (P = 0.001, P = 0.000, P < 0.01, respectively). The levels of VEGF-R on the surface of HL-60 cells also decreased after treatment with ATRA of 5 and 10 micro mol/L for 72 hours, but at 48 hours the expression rates of VEGF-R on HL-60 cells of the two ATRA treated groups were not significantly decreased. At 48 and 72 hours, Na(2)SeO(3) of 5 and 10 micro mol/L had no obvious effect on HL-60 secreting VEGF, but notablely inhibited the expression of VEGF-R. In conclusion, ATRA could inhibit the expression of VEGF and its receptor in HL-60 cell. Na(2)SeO(3) could not inhibit the expression of VEGF in HL-60 cell, but could decrease the receptor expression of VEGF, which mechanism should be further studied. ATRA and Na(2)SeO(3) had not obvious medullar-inhibition, but anti-angiogenesis activity. It is suggested that combination of two drugs with conventional therapy may enhance the effect of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and reduce the dose and thus toxicity of chemotherapeutic agents.