The findings of the present study revealed that the mRNA and protein levels of E-cadherin were significantly increased upon oridonin treatment, while the mRNA and protein levels of N-cadherin and vimentin were sharply decreased by oridonin, indicating that oridonin could partially impede EMT of thyroid cancer TPC-1 and BCPAP cell lines. This evidence concerns the gene VIM and thyroid gland carcinoma.