Figure 3: NLS induced apoptosis of PC3 and DU145 cells.

(A) PC3 and DU145 cells were treated with NLS (60 and 120 μg/ml) for 24, 48 and 72 h and the cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry after propidium iodide (PI) and Annexin V staining. The cell populations were discriminated in each quadrant as viable cells in the lower left (annexin V negative/PI negative), early apoptotic cells in the lower right (annexin V positive/PI negative), late apoptotic cells in the upper right (annexin V positive/PI positive), and necrotic cells in the upper left quadrant (annexin V negative/PI positive). (B) The quantitative data of panel A. The percentages of Annexin V-positive cells are shown. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01. (C) Apoptosis-related markers such as poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage and caspases activities were detected by western blotting in PC3 and DU145 cells. (D) Bcl-2 family of proteins and Akt and GSK-3β activities were detected by western blotting in PC3 and DU145 cells.