【Objective】To clarify the role of neuro-cadherin（N-cadherin）in epithelial-mesenchymal transition of diabetic retinopathy ，and to investigate the effect of N-cadherin on proliferation ，migration and invasion of retinal pigment epithelial cells.【Methods】Cells were turned into over-expressed or silenced N-cadherin by using Ad-N-cadherin（Ad-N-cad）and Ad-si N-cadherin（si N-cad）. Glucose（25 mmol/L）was used to simulate high glucose（HG）conditions. Cell Counting Kit- 8（CCK- 8）kit was used to detect cell proliferation. Transwell chamber was used to detect the vertical migration and invasion of cells. 【Results】Transwell assay showed N-cadherin over-expression increased the number of cells migrated to the transwell subventricular chamber. The difference was statistically significant（P < 0.05）. The number of ARPE19 cells that migrated to or invaded the transwell subventricular chamber increased after high glucose treatment. N- cadherin knockdown suppressed high glucose- induced migration and invasion （P < 0.05）. CCK8 results showed N-cadherin knockdown could inhibit cell proliferation induced by high glucose（P < 0.05）.【Conclusion】N-cadherin may promote cell migration，and down-regulation of N-cadherin can inhibit cell proliferation，migration and invasion induced by high glucose.