Abstract: Objective:To investigate the effect of 3-Bromopyruvate(3-BrPA) combined with adriamycin(ADM) on proliferation and apoptosis of human breast carcinoma cells in vitro.Methods:The effects of 3-BrPA at 80,160 and 320 mol/L on ATP production of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells were detected.The growth inhibition effect was detected by MTT assay which induced by 3-BrPA(10,20,40,80,160 mol/L),adriamycin(0.75,1.5,3,6,12 mol/L) and 3-BrPA at 80 mol/L combined with adriamycin(0.75,1.5,3,6,12 mol/L) for 24 h,48 h and 72 h in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.Cells were treated with 3-BrPA (80 mol/L),adriamycin(0.75 mol/L) and 3-BrPA(80 mol/L) combined with adriamycin(0.75 mol/L) for 24 hours,the apoptotic cells were detected using propidium iodide staining by flow cytometry.Cells were treated with 3-BrPA(16 mol/L),adriamycin(0.2 mol/L) and 3-BrPA(16 mol/L) combined with adriamycin(0.5 mol/L) for 5 days,the colony formation was detected by crystal violet staining method.Results:3-BrPA inhibited the formation of ATP in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells; 3-BrPA combined with ADM significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of ADM.When MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells were treated with 3-BrPA at 80 mol/L combined with ADM at 0.75 mol/L,the apoptosis rate was 39.6%,which was significantly higher than that in control group,3-BrPA group and ADM group(P0.01).3-BrPA enhanced the inhibitory effect of ADM on colony formation of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.Conclusions:3-BrPA can enhance the inhibitory effect of adriamycin on proliferation and apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.