Figure 2.

The effect of cadmium on apoptosis in cells cultured with various cadmium chloride solutions. (A) THP-1-derived macrophages were cultured with CdCl₂ solutions for 48 h. After incubation cells were harvested by scraping then were incubated with Annexin V-FITC (1 ng/mL) and propidium iodide (5 ng/mL) for 30 min in the dark and were analysed by flow cytometry. Results are expressed in percentage of apoptotic cells from n = six separate experiments; and (B) Lower left quadrants shows viable cells; Lower right quadrants, early apoptotic cells; Upper left quadrants necrotic cells; Upper right quadrants, nonviable late apoptotic cells. Experiments were conducted as six separate assays (each assay in three replicates). Diagram of representative samples. **, statistically significant differences in comparison to control (p ≤ 0.005); ^##, statistically significant differences in comparison to 5 nM Cd (p ≤ 0.005); Control, cells incubated in RPMI 1640 medium with 10% FBS and H₂O as vehicle.