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. 2021 May 13;12(5):482. doi: 10.1038/s41419-021-03760-2

Fig. 5. Squalene accumulation potently inhibits the proliferation of HNSCC cells.

Fig. 5

A Changes in four cholesterol metabolites in different treatment groups detected by GC/MS/MS analysis. N ≥ 7 replicates, one-way ANOVA analysis was used to assess the statistical significance, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001. B Colony formation of CAL27 cells was detected after the cholesterol metabolites were supplemented in cell culture medium. C The viability of CAL27 cells was detected with an MTT assay after blocking endogenous squalene production by knockdown of FDFT1 with specific siRNAs. D The real-time PCR assays to detect the protein levels of FDFT1 in CAL27 cells treated with sh-NC or sh-FDFT1 lentivirus. E The immunoblotting assays to detect the protein levels of FDFT1 in CAL27 cells treated with sh-NC or sh-FDFT1 lentivirus. F The cell proliferation of CAL27 cells treated with sh-NC or sh-FDFT1 lentivirus. G The colony formation of CAL27 cells treated with sh-NC or sh-FDFT1 lentivirus. H Expression of cholesterol synthesis-related enzymes in HNSCC cell lines and oral mucosa epithelial cells. I Expression of SQLE and EZH2 in HNSCC (N = 25). J There was a negative correlation between the expression of EZH2 and SQLE in HNSCC (N = 25). K Expression of SQLE in HNSCC and normal tissues in TCGA database. L, M Relationship between expression level of SQLE in TCGA database and survival rate and clinical stage.