Liquiritigenin Induces Tumor Cell Death through Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase- (MPAKs-) Mediated Pathway in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells
Figure 5
Intracellular ROS accumulation displayed an important role in LQ-mediated cytotoxicity in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. (a) LQ dose-dependently enhanced intracellular ROS level after 12 h treatment. (b) NAC pretreatment strikingly abrogated LQ-reduced cell viability. (c) LQ-induced the dissipation of was partially restored by NAC pretreatment. Qualification data were expressed as the ratio of red to green fluorescent intensity (). (d) LQ-induced apoptotic alteration on the expression of antiapoptosis and proapoptosis related proteins was strikingly reversed by NAC pretreatment. The average fold of band intensity compared with CTRL group was marked, respectively (). Cells were pretreated with 1 mM NAC for 30 min and then cotreated with 400 μM LQ for another 24 h (b) or 12 h ((c) and (d)). Data are expressed as mean ± S.D. () and analyzed using one-way ANOVA. *** versus control cells, #, and ## versus LQ-treated cells.
