Figure 3.

Silencing of Notch4 reduces the cell viability, cell migration and cell invasion abilities of PC cells in vitro. (A) Cells were harvested at days 1–7 post-transfection, and cell viability was measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Decreased cell viability was detected in Notch4 siRNA-transfected cells compared with that of the blank control and control siRNA cells. (B) PC cells were treated as described, and cell migration assays were performed. The migrated cells on the lower side of the filter were fixed and stained with 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole. The mean number of migrated cells in ≥5 visual fields of three independent experiments was calculated. (C) Representative experiments of cell migration assays are shown (magnification, ×200). (D) PC cells were treated as described, and cell invasion assays were performed. The invaded cells were stained and eluted for absorbance readings at 560 nm. Data are the mean ± standard deviation of ≥2 independent experiments (*P<0.05, **P<0.01 vs. control siRNA; #P<0.05 vs. Notch4 siRNA alone; $P<0.05 vs. docetaxel alone). PC, pancreatic cancer; siRNA, small interfering RNA; A, absorbance.