Aim:To investigate the pro-apoptotic effects of α- 1-adrenergic inhibitor doxazosin in HeLa cells and the potential involvement of transcription factor activator pro-tein-2α (AP-2α) in doxazosin-indueed apoptosis. Methods:The HeLa cells were exposed to various concentrations of doxazosin for 16 h. Apoptosis was detected using a DNA fragmentation assay, Hoechst 33258 staining, and flow cytometric analysis. The expression of AP-2α and caspase-3 was detected by relative quan-titative RT-PCR and Weste blot assays, respectively. After the respective trans-fections of the HeLa cells with AP-2α overexpressing constructs and an antisense oligonucleotide against AP-2α, apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometric analysis, and the expression of AP-2α and easpase-3 was detected by relative quantitative RT-PCR and Weste blot assays. The colorimetric assay was per-formed to detect the caspase-3 activity. Results:Treatment with various concen-trations of doxazosin for 16 h increased the apoptotic rate and total cell death rate of the HeLa cells in a dose-dependent manner and upregulated the expression of AP-2α and caspase-3 in a dose-dependent manner. A dose-dependent increase was observed in the caspase-3 activity. Overexpressing AP-2α led to the in-creased rate of doxazosin-induced apoptosis and the total cell death, whereas doxazosin-induced apoptosis and the total cell death in HeLa cells decreased by antisense AP-2α. Furthermore, overexpressing AP-2α increased the expression and activity of caspase-3, whereas antisense AP-2α in part abolished the increased effects of doxazosin on caspase-3 expression and activity. Conclusion:Doxazosin induces apoptosis in HeLa cells in a dose-dependent manner, and transcription factor AP-2α is functionally involved in doxazosin-induced HeLa cell apoptosis.