Downregulation of BAG3 modulates cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer cells via the inhibition of autophagy. SKOV3 and SKOV3/DDP cells were transfected with control RNA or shRNA targeting BAG3, followed by treatment with 20 µM cisplatin for 48 h. (A) Whole-cell lysates were subjected to western blot analysis to detect LC3, p62, PARP, cleaved-PARP, caspase-3, cleaved-caspase-3, BAG3 and GAPDH (as a loading control). (B) Cell viability was analyzed using a Cell Counting Kit-8. The data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation from three independent experiments. *P<0.05. (C) SKOV3 and SKOV3/DDP cells were co-transfected with either control or BAG3 shRNA and GFP-LC3 plasmid followed by treatment with cisplatin (20 µM) for an additional 48 h. Scale bar, 200 µm. The formation of GFP-LC3 puncta were examined using immunofluorescence and quantified. The data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation from three independent experiments. ***P<0.001. BAG3, Bcl-2-associated athanogene 3; LC3, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3; p62, sequestosome 1; PARP, poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase; shRNA, short hairpin RNA; GFP, green fluorescent protein.