FIGURE 2.

Radiation increased iron level and ROS generation in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Cells were pretreated with DFO, followed by 8 Gy radiation, Prussian blue staining for intracellular iron was performed (A). Cells were pretreated with DFO or FeCl3 before 8 Gy radiation. Intracellular chelatable iron was detected using the fluorescent indicator Phen green SK with Flow cytometry (B). The expressions of iron-related proteins Transferrin (Tf), Transferrin receptor (CD71), and Ferroportin (FPN) were performed after 8 Gy treatment (C). Knockdown of Transferrin, FPN by siRNA as demonstrated by western blot (D,E). Cells were transfected with control siRNA (siNC) and siRNA against Transferrin (si Tf), Ferroprotein (siFPN) for 48 h, the amount of cell death was determined at 48 h after 8 Gy radiation (F). These results were representative of three independent experiments and expressed as means ± SD. P-values were calculated using repeated measure ANOVA with P < 0.05 being considered as statistical significance, *P < 0.05.