Objective To investigate arsenic trioxide (As2O3)-induced apoptosis and the effects on cell nuclear matrix related protein promyelocytic leukaemia (PML). Methods HepG2 cells were cultured in MEM medium and treated with 0.5, 2, 5 and 10 μmol/L As2O3 for either 24 h or 96 h at each concentration. In situ terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) labeling (TUNEL) and DNA ladders were used to detect apoptosis. Confocal microscopy and West blotting were used to observe the expression of PML. Results The growth rates of HepG2 cells were slower in the As2O3 treated than the untreated control group. DNA ladder and TUNEL positive apoptotic cells could be detected in As2O3 treated groups. The expression of PML decreased in HepG2 cells with 2 μmol/L As2O3 treatment. Confocal images demonstrated that the expression of PML protein in HepG2 cell nuclei decreased after treatment with 2 μmol/L As2O3, and micropunctates characteristic of PML protein in HepG2 cell nuclei disappeared after treatment with 5 μmol/L As2O3.Conclusions Our results show that arsenic trioxide can significantly inhibit the growth of HepG2 cells in vitro. As2O3 induces apoptosis in HepG2 tumor cells in a time and concentration dependent manner. As2O3 may degrade the PML protein in HepG2 cell nuclei. The decreased expression of PML in As2O3 treated tumor cells is most likely to be caused by apoptosis. Nuclear matrix associated protein PML could be the target of As2O3 therapy.