Objective To study the apoptosis of the human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) induced by Staphylococcus aureus α-toxin. Methods The apoptosis of HUVEC infected by α-toxin was determined by the flow cytometry at different times after infection. Results S.aureus α-toxin at the dose of 10, 30, 90 or 270 ng/ml could induce apoptosis of HUVEC with a significant difference in the rates of apoptosis from those of the control, with maximal apoptosis rate at the 30 ng/ml.Furthermore, the apoptosis of HUVEC ...