Abstract: AIM: To investigate the role of Caspase3 in apoptosis induced by HCPT in human breast carcinoma cells.METHODS: The cell growth inhibiting was measured by MTT assay, cell apoptosis was investigated by agarose gel eletrophoresis, and apoptosis pathway was investigated by Western Blotting.RESULTS: HCPT had a remarkable growth inhibiting on breast cancer cells.After exposing to HCPT, the breast cancer cells present some morphologic features of apoptosis that including cell shrinkage, nuclear condensation, DNA fragmentation. Caspase3 was degraded in cancer cells treated with HCPT.CONCLUSION: HCPT has obvious effects on growth inhibiting and apoptosis induction on human breast cancer cells, and the altered expression of Caspase3 may play a significant role in apoptosis induced by HCPT.

Key words: HCPT, apoptosis, breast carcinoma cell, Caspase3