FIGURE 3.

Knockdown of acid alpha‐glucosidase (GAA) improves the antitumor effect of GEM. (A) Pancreatic cancer cell lines were transfected with siRNA and treated with a range of GEM concentrations (PANC‐1, MIA PaCa‐2; GEM, 0‐20 μM) for 72 h. The cell proliferation of each cell was suppressed by GEM in a dose–dependent manner. (B) Cell viabilities of PANC‐1 and MIA PaCa‐2 at 24, 48, and 72 h after treatment with GEM (PANC‐1; 1µM, MIA PaCa‐2; 0.5 µM) were shown as the fold change. In the cell proliferation assay, KD of GAA enhanced the anti–proliferation effects of GEM in PANC‐1 and MIA PaCa‐2 cells. (C) Western blot analysis demonstrated the expression levels of apoptosis‐related proteins. The levels of cleaved caspase‐3 and −8 as well as cleaved PARP were greater than those in GEM alone. (D) The quantification of apoptotic cells was analyzed by annexin V/PI assay at 72 hours after GEM treatment. The number of apoptotic cells in combination of GAA KD and GEM were greater than those in GEM alone group. Data are presented as the mean ± SD from three independent experiments (*P < .05)