Aim To study the expression level of retinoblastoma (Rb) and CD36 in U937 cells treated with oxidized low density lipoprotein(ox-LDL) or pretreated with exogenous Rb gene. Methods Human myeloid leukemia U937 cells were incubated with ox-LDL(80 mg/L) at 0 h,12 h,24 h and 48 h after ox-LDL loaded respectively. CD36 and Rb gene expression were detected by RT-PCR and flow cytometric analysis(FCA). Results RT-PCR and FCA results showed that the expression level of Rb was downregulated and the expression level of CD36 upregulated from 0h to 48h induced by ox-LDL. While after being transfected by exogenous Rb gene via a recombinant adenovirus vector, the expression level of Rb was upregulated and the expression level of CD36 downregulated with a time-dependent manner. Conclusions Ox-LDL could downregulate the expression level of Rb mRNA and protein, and upregulate that of CD36. Introduction of exogenous Rb gene could downregulate expression of CD36 of U937 cells.