Objective:To investigate the effect of P53 up-regulate modulator of apoptosis(PUMA) on the apoptosis of pancreatic carcinoma BxPC-3 cells and the possible mechanism.Methods: BxPC-3 cells were infected with recombinant adenovirus containing PUMA gene(Ad-PUMA) at 100 MOI for 0-96 h.Apoptosis of BxPC-3 cells was examined by FCM.Expressions of PUMA,Bcl-2,Bax,Cytochrome C and Caspase-3 proteins in BxPC-3 cells were detected by Western blotting.Bax expression in the cytoplasm and mitochondrion and Bax oligomer expression expression in BxPC-3 cells were determined by Western blotting.Results: Apoptosis rates of BxPC-3 cells were significantly increased with the time of Ad-PUMA infection,and peaked after 48 h.Ad-PUMA infection increased the expressions of PUMA,Cytochrome C and Caspase-3 proteins in BxPC-3 cells,and decreased the expression of Bcl-2 protein.Apoptosis rate of BxPC-3 cells after Ad-PUMA infection was correlated with PUMA expression.Ad-PUMA did not affect the expression of total Bax protein in BxPC-3 cells,but Bax expression in cytoplasm was dramatically decreased after infection,and Bax expression in mitochondrion was markedly increased.Furthermore,Ad-PUMA infection induced Bax oligomerization in BxPC-3 cells.Conclusion: PUMA can promote apoptosis of pancreatic carcinoma cells through mitochondrion pathway.