The expression of human general control of amino acid synthesis protein 5 (hGCN5) in human Burkitt's lymphoma Daudi cells in vitro, effects of Trichostatin A (TSA) on cell proliferation and apoptosis and the molecular mechanism of TSA inhibiting proliferation of Daudi cells were investigated. The effects of TSA on the growth of Daudi cells were studied by 3-(4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium (MTT) assay. The effect of TSA on the cell cycle of Daudi cells was assayed by a propidium iodide method. Immunochemistry and Western blot were used to detect the expression of hGCN5. The proliferation of Daudi cells was decreased in TSA-treated group with a 24 h IC50 value of 415.3979 microg/L. TSA induced apoptosis of Daudi cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Treatment with TSA (200 and 400 microg/L) for 24 h, the apoptosis rates of Daudi cells were (14.74+/-2.04) % and (17.63+/-1.25) %, respectively. The cell cycle was arrested in G0/G1 phase (50, 100 microg/L) and in G2/M phase (200 microg/L) by treatment with TSA for 24 h. The expression of hGCN5 protein in Daudi cells was increased in 24 h TSA-treated group by immunochemistry and Western blot (P<0.05). It was suggested that TSA as HDACIs could increase the expression of hGCN5 in Daudi cells, and might play an important role in regulating the proliferation and apoptosis of B-NHL cell line Daudi cells.