Fig. 2: CAP can induce cell pyroptosis in lung, gastric and liver cancer cells.

a–c The features of cell pyroptosis were detected at 24 h after CAP treatment in three pairs of high/low GSDME expression cell lines as indicated. a Representative bright-field microscopy images in which red arrowheads indicated the large bubbles emerging from the plasma membrane. Scale bar, 25 µm. b Full-length GSDME (GSDME-FL) and GSDMD-N terminal (GSDMD-N) detected by western blotting. c Release of LDH in culture supernatants. d Annexin V-FITC/PI assay was performed to identify pyroptosis and apoptosis cells after CAP treatment in three pairs of high/low GSDME expression cell lines as indicated. e Quantification of pyroptotic cells double stained with annexin V-FITC/PI. f Western blot analyses of expression of GSDME-FL, GSDME-N and Pro-CASP-3 (pro-caspase-3) were performed at 24 h after indicated CAP exposure dose in GSDME high-expressed cell lines. g Western blot analyses of expression of GSDME-FL, GSDME-N and Pro-CASP-3 were performed at indicated incubation time after CAP exposure in GSDME high-expressed cell lines. h Cell death was assessed by measuring annexin V-FITC- and PI-stained cells at indicated time after CAP exposures in GSDME high-expressed cell lines. (Left: representative flow cytometric dotplots; right: quantification of pyroptotic cells double stained with annexin V-FITC/PI). All data are presented as the mean ± SD from three independent experiments. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.