CASP3 and neoplasm: Compared to control rats, the tumour-bearing rats and rats injected with ascitic fluid showed a significant increase in caspase-3 staining in the cytosol of cytotrophoblastic and trophoblastic giant cells, with positive cells in all stages of pregnancy (P < 0.05) (Figure 4D,E and 4F for group W and Figure 4G,H and 4I for group A) (Table 1).