Figure 5

ROS scavengers prevent A549 cells from combined treatment-induced cell growth inhibition and apoptosis. (a) SeC enhances AF-induced intracellular ROS accumulation. Cells were washed and suspended in PBS containing 10 μM of DCFH-DA. Then cells pretreated with SeC for 2 h were co-treated with AF for another 2 h. ROS generation was determined by measuring the fluorescence intensity on microplate reader. (b) Addition of NAC and GSH weaken SeC and AF-induced cell growth inhibition against A549 cells. Cells were pre-treated with 5 mM NAC or GSH for 1 h before combined treatment. Trypan blue staining was used to quantify cell death. (c) GSH addition protects A549 cells from combined treatment-induced apoptosis. Cell apoptosis were detected by flow cytometric analysis. (d) GSH supplement suppresses combined treatment-induced activation of caspase-3. (e) GSH addition reverses combined treatment-induced apoptosis, ERK and AKT inactivation, and DNA damage. All data here are expressed as means±S.D. of triplicates. All images shown here are representative of three independent experiments with similar results. Bars with different characters are statistically different at P<0.05 level