Figure 4.
Fe3O4 MNPs and AT induced apoptosis in NSCLC cells through caspase 3 activation.
Notes: (A) Left: A549 cells were given AT, MNPs, or a combination of the two at the concentrations indicated for 24 hours. Total protein was extracted and subjected to immunoblot analysis for cleaved caspase 8, caspase 9, and caspase 3 detection. GAPDH was used as loading control. Right: quantification of Western blot analysis. (B) Left: H1975 cells were treated with AT, MNPs, or AT-MNP combination for 24 hours. Whole-cell protein was extracted and examined via immunoblot analysis for cleaved caspase 8, caspase 9 and caspase 3 determination. GAPDH was used as loading control. Right: quantification of Western blot analysis. (C) Caspase 3 (left) and caspase 9 (right) activation was determined in A549 cells administered AT and MNPs alone or a combination thereof in the absence or presence of caspase 3 or caspase 9 inhibitor for 24 hours. (D) Caspase 3 (left) and caspase 9 (right) activation was determined in H1975 cells treated with AT and MNPs alone or a combination thereof in the absence or presence of caspase 3 or caspase 9 inhibitor for 24 hours. Values are expressed as means ± standard error of mean. *P<0.05, **P<0.01, and ***P<0.001 vs Con group; #P<0.05, ##P<0.01, and ###P<0.001. Analysis of variance and Dunnett’s analysis were included to compare the averages of multiple groups.
Abbreviations: MNPs, magnetic nanoparticles; AT, actein; NSCLC, non-small-cell lung cancer; Con, control; NS, not significant.