FIGURE 9.

6-TG in combination with DETA/NO decreases viability and increases apoptosis of CD4⁺ cells. A, MTT-based CD4⁺ cell viability assays in each treatment were conducted as described under “Experimental Procedures.” The viability value of CD4⁺ cells of the untreated sample was set as 100%, and other results were then expressed as normalized values against the untreated sample value. Data are shown with the mean and S.D. bars associated with three independent experiments. Statistics were performed with a Tukey ANOVA. *, p < 0.05, versus the result of the untreated sample. B, colorimetric-based apoptotic assays of CD4⁺ cells in each treatment were performed as described under “Experimental Procedures.” The caspase activity of a sample treated with the apoptotic inducer was set as 100%, and other results were then expressed as normalized values against this value. Data are shown with the mean values and S.D. bars associated with the three independent experiments. Statistics were performed with a Tukey ANOVA: *, p < 0.01, versus the result of the untreated sample; and **, p < 0.05, versus the result of the apoptotic inducer-treated sample.