Fig. 5

Fig. 5 Fig. 5. Trichodermin induces apoptosis via the caspase pathways in human OSCC cells. The effect of a pan-caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD-FMK (Z-VAD), on TCD-induced apoptotic cell death. OSCC cells (Ca922 and HSC-3 cells) were pretreated with or without 10 μM Z-VAD and were subsequently exposed to 0 or 10 μM TCD. (A) Cell viability was measured using MTT assays. (B) Analysis of apoptosis was detected using Annexin V-FITC/PI staining assessed by flow cytometry. (C) Levels of cleaved caspase-3 (Cleaved casp.3) and PARP (Cleaved-PARP) proteins determined by Western blot assays. β-actin was used as an endogenous reference. Histograms represent the statistical analysis of the relative expression levels of cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved PARP proteins. Data represent means ± S.E.M. #P < 0.01 compared with the control; *P < 0.05 compared with control cells treated with TCD.