Fig. 2: GNE-493 provokes apoptosis in prostate cancer cells.
From: GNE-493 inhibits prostate cancer cell growth via Akt-mTOR-dependent and -independent mechanisms
The patient-derived primary prostate cancer cells (priCa-1/-2/-3) or the established cell lines (PC-3 cells or LNCaP) were cultivated in complete medium and stimulated with GNE-493 (250 nM) or the vehicle control (0.25% DMSO, “Veh”); cells were further cultivated for designated time, the caspase-3/caspase-9 activities were tested (A, B and G). Cell apoptosis was examined by the nuclear TUNEL staining assay (C and H). The priCa-1 primary prostate cancer cells were pretreated with z-DEVD-fmk, z-VAD-fmk (for 30 min, each at 50 μM) or the vehicle control (0.25% DMSO), cells were further treated with GNE-493 (250 nM) and cultivated for designated time, cell apoptosis, cell viability, and death were tested by TUNEL staining (D), CCK-8 (E) and Trypan blue staining (F) assays, respectively. The established Prostate epithelial RWPE1 cells or primary prostate epithelial cells (“priEpi”) were treated with GNE-493 (250 nM) or the vehicle control (0.25% DMSO, “Veh”), and were cultivated for 72 h; testing cell viability and apoptosis were through CCK-8 (I) and nuclear TUNEL staining (J) assays, respectively. *P < 0.05 versus “Veh” group. #P < 0.05 versus GNE-493 treatment (D–F). “n.s.” stands for non-statistical difference (I and J). Scale bar = 100 μm (C and H).
