AIM: To detect the suppression effects of culture super-natant of human amniotic membrane on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) in rabbit corneal epithelial (RCE) cells. METHODS: The normal RCE cells were cultured for 7 days until there were confluences on the cultures. The cells were subcultured to plastic(3 groups,Ⅰ-Ⅲ, Ⅰ was control) and naked amniotic membrane (Ⅳ group) cultures respectively. Then one of plastic group (Ⅱ group) was cultured by culture supernatant of human amniotic membrane without epithelial layer as its medium; another plastic group (Ⅲ group) was cultured by culture supernatant of human amniotic membrane with epithelial layer as its medium; the other two groups (Ⅰand Ⅳgroup) were still cultured by DMEM (free from FBS components ).After 48 hours, the total RNAs of these cultures were extracted and detected by RT-PCR. RESULTS:There were expressions of VEGF mRNA from Ⅰ group and Ⅱ group, however, the expressions were significantly suppressed in Ⅲ group(using culture supernatant of human amniotic membrane with epithelial layer as its medium) and Ⅳ group (RCE cultered directly on naked amniotic membrane) (P<0.01, n=5). CONCLUSION: Amniotic membrane transplantation is partly through depressing the mRNA expression of VEGF in corneal cells to reduce the corneal neovascularization of injuried corneal surface. And it may be an efficient method of curing corneal neovascularization in clinic.