Figure 8. Photoactivated hypericin-induced elevation of the proapoptotic mediators cleaved caspases-3 and cleaved caspases-9 as well as the apoptotic index Bax-to-Bcl-2 ratio in RINm5F insulinoma cells.

(A) Representative immunoblots of cell lysates subjected to solvent control treatment followed by photoactivation (control/photoactivation; left) or hypericin loading followed by photoactivation (hypericin/photoactivation; right). Cleaved caspase-9, cleaved caspase-3 and Bax immunoreactive bands in a sample subjected to hypericin/photoactivation (right) are stronger than those in control/photoactivation-treated sample (left). Bcl-2 immunoreactive band in the hypericin/photoact-treated sample (right) are weaker than that in the sample subjected to control/photoactivation (left). GAPDH immunoreactive band in a control/photoactivation-treated sample (left) resembled that in a sample subjected to hypericin/photoactivation (right). (B) Quantifications of cleaved caspase-9, cleaved caspase-3 bands and Bax-to-Bcl-2 ratio in control/photoactivation and hypericin/photoactivation groups. The relative abundance of cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-3 as well as Bax-to-Bcl-2 ratio in hypericin/photoactivation group (N=3) significantly increased as compared with control/photoactivation group (N=3). **P<0.01 compared with control/photoactivation.