Fig. 5: Loperamide, pimozide, and STF-62247 induce robust hallmarks of autophagy in GBM cells.

a MZ-54 cells were treated with 20 µM IM/100 µM TIC, 17.5 µM loperamide, 15 µM pimozide, 40 µM STF-62247, and 25 µM ABT-737/50 µM etoposide for 24 h followed by detection of vinculin, ATG7, ATG5, and LC3B protein levels by Western blotting with vinculin as loading control. b MZ-54 cells were treated as indicated in a for 24 h and the formation of LC3B puncta was imaged using anti-LC3B immunofluorescence staining. Representative images over 25 microscopic views per sample are shown. c Quantification of mean LC3B puncta per cell upon the indicated treatment. Mean and SEM of 3−6 independent experiments performed for 25 sites per sample are shown. Scale bar = 30 µm. Significances after drug treatment of WT, ATG5, and ATG7 KO cells are calculated versus untreated cells of the corresponding cell line. **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001. UT untreated, IM imipramine hydrochloride, TIC ticlopidine, LOP loperamide, PIMO pimozide, STF STF-62247, ABT ABT-737, ETO etoposide