Western blot analysis for total caspase 3 and cleaved caspase 3 in triptolide-treated MDA-MB-231 cells confirmed activation of the apoptotic pathway and similar results supporting a caspase 3-dependent apoptotic mechanism has been reported in human gastric cancer BGC-823 cells and MCF-7 breast cancer cells [43,44]. The gene discussed is CASP3; the disease is breast carcinoma.