Objective: To investigate the relationship between β-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs) and NF-κB pathway as well as its downstream invasion-related factors in gastric cancer cells. Methods: Gastric cancer BGC-823 and SGC-7901 cells were exposed to different concentrations of propranolol (10, 30 and 100 μmol/L) and isoproterenol (50, 100 and 200 μmol/L) for 24 h, respectively. Subsequently, the mRNA expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and matrix metalloproteinases 9 (MMP-9) were measured by RT-PCR method, and the protein expressions of above factors as well as NF-κB p65 were determined by Western blot analysis. Results: Compared with untreated control cells, propranolol caused concentration-dependent decreases of the mRNA expressions of VEGF, COX-2, MMP-2 and MMP-9, while isoproterenol resulted in concentration-dependent increases of the mRNA expressions of the above factors in the two types of treated cells (all P<0.05). Compared with control cells, in the two types of treated cells, the protein expressions of above factors along with NF-κB p65 were significantly down-regulated after propranolol treatment, while opposite results were seen after isoproterenol treatment, and all the responses were concentration-dependent (all P<0.05). Conclusion: β-ARs are closely related to invasion and metastasis of stomach cancer, and the mechanism may be probably associated with its action of increasing the activity or expressions of NF-κB pathway and its downstream invasion-related factors.