Objective　To study the toxicity of Tripterygium Hypolaucun (Level) Hutch (THH). Methods　The flow cytometry technique was used to measure the micronucleus (MN) formation and cell apoptosis of Jurkat, CHE and NIH3T3 cell lines induced by THH. Results　THH could induce micronucleus formation and cell apoptosis of Jurkat, CHE and NIH3T3 cell lines. Quite similar changes were observed in three cell lines, but the Jurkat cells showed more sensitive than others. It was only 25 μl/plate THH that induced the high peak of MN formation at various time points, and only 50 μl/plate that induced the high peak of cell apoptosis. Conclusion　The result indicates that THH has stronger toxicity to Jurkat cells than to CHE and NIH3T3 cells.

Objective　To study the toxicity of Tripterygium Hypolaucun (Level) Hutch (THH). Methods　The flow cytometry technique was used to measure the micronucleus (MN) formation and cell apoptosis of Jurkat, CHE and NIH3T3 cell lines induced by THH. Results　THH could induce micronucleus formation and cell apoptosis of Jurkat, CHE and NIH3T3 cell lines. Quite similar changes were observed in three cell lines, but the Jurkat cells showed more sensitive than others. It was only 25 μl/plate THH that induced the high peak of MN formation at various time points, and only 50 μl/plate that induced the high peak of cell apoptosis. Conclusion　The result indicates that THH has stronger toxicity to Jurkat cells than to CHE and NIH3T3 cells.