Histone deacetylase (HDAC)‑mediated epigenetic modification plays crucial roles in numerous biological processes, including cell cycle regulation, cell proliferation and apoptosis. HDAC inhibitors demonstrate antitumor effects in various cancers, including glioblastoma and breast cancer. HDAC inhibitors are therefore promising antitumor drugs for these tumors. The tumorigenesis and development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) involve genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. However, the effects of the HDAC inhibitor on ESCC are not fully investigated. In the present study, ESCC cells were treated with trichostatin A (TSA) and its antitumor effects and related mechanisms were investigated. The results indicated that TSA suppressed the proliferation of ESCCs and caused G1 phase arrest by inducing the expression of p21 and p27. TSA also induced cell apoptosis by enhancing the expression of pro‑apoptotic protein Bax and decreasing the expression of anti‑apoptotic protein Bcl‑2. Furthermore, TSA inhibited the expression of phosphatidylinositol‑3‑kinase (PI3K) and reduced the phosphorylation of Akt and extracellular signal‑regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 in EC9706 and EC1 cell lines. High levels of acetylated histone H4 were detected in TSA‑treated ESCC cell lines. Overall, these results indicate that TSA suppresses ESCC cell growth by inhibiting the activation of the PI3K/Akt and ERK1/2 pathways. TSA also promotes cell apoptosis through epigenetic regulation of the expression of apoptosis‑related protein.