This study investigated the effect of epigenetic modification of maspin on extravillous trophoblastic function. The mRNA expression of maspin in placentae from normotensive and preeclamptic pregnant women was detected by RT-PCR. TEV-1 cells, a human first-trimester extravillous trophoblast cell line, were cultured and treated with CoCl2 (300 mu mol/L) to induce chemical hypoxia and with 5-aza (500 nmol/L) to induce demethylation. The mRNA expression of maspin in TEV-1 cells subjected to different treatments was determined by RT-PCR, and the proliferative and migratory abilities of TEV-1 cells were assessed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and Transwell assays. Our results showed that the maspin mRNA expression level in placentae from preeclamptic women was much higher than that from normotensive women. CoCl2 or 5-aza could up-regulate the mRNA expression of maspin and significantly suppress the proliferation and migration of TEV-1 cells. It was concluded that the epigenetic modification in promoter region of maspin contributes to incomplete trophoblast invasion, which offers a novel approach for predicting and treating placental dysfunction.