FIG. 3.

Suppression of RAGE expression actives mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in response to oxidative injury. (A, B) Panc2.03 and Panc02 cells were treated with H₂O₂ (0.25 mM, 24 h) with or without caspase-9 inhibitor (Z-LEHD-FMK, 20 μM), then apoptosis levels were assessed by (A) TUNEL and (B) caspase-3 and −9 activity assays (n = 3, *p < 0.05). (C, D) Panc2.03 cells were treated with H₂O₂ (0.25 mM) for 24 h and then cytosolic (“Cyt” and mitochondrial (“Mit”) Bax were assayed by Western blot analysis (C). Cyt C: cytochrome c. In parallel, the mitochondrial membrane potential was analyzed by flow cytometric analysis (D) utilizing a fluorescent cationic dye JC-1 (n = 3, *p < 0.05). The JC-1 red-to-green fluorescence ratio of the untreated shRNA group was set as 1.