Figure 3.

Effects of AuNPs on TRAIL-induced apoptosis.

Notes: Calu-1 cells were incubated with TRAIL and/or AuNPs for 24 h. (A) DNA fragmention of apoptotic cells in situ was detected by TUNEL assays (upper panel). After staining with PI, apoptotic sub-G1 DNA content was analyzed using a flow cytometer (lower panel). (B) The percentage of apoptotic cells was quantified as the ratio of TUNEL-positive cells to the DAPI-stained total cells under a fluorescent microscope. *P<0.05, compared to TRAIL-treated groups. (C) Total cell lysates were prepared and processed for Western blotting analysis with antibodies against procaspase-3, cleaved caspase-3, and PARP. β-Actin was used as an internal loading control. A representative blot of three separate experiments was presented. (D) The relative levels of active caspase-3 and cleaved PARP were quantified by densitometric analysis. *P<0.05, compared to TRAIL-treated groups.

Abbreviations: AuNPs, gold nanoparticles; PI, propidium iodide; TRAIL, tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand; TUNEL, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling; ZVAD-FMK, N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp(O-Me) fluoromethyl ketone.