Cytotoxicity, Oxidative Stress, Cell Cycle Arrest, and Mitochondrial Apoptosis after Combined Treatment of Hepatocarcinoma Cells with Maleic Anhydride Derivatives and Quercetin

Figure 2

Effect on the viability of human liver cancer cells determined using MTT assay. (a), (c) HuH7 cells, (b), (d) HepG2 cells at 24 and 48 hours posttreatment. Effect on the viability of noncancerous human epithelial cells. (g) HaCaT cells, (h) THLE-3 cells, (i) primary culture of Fischer-344 rat hepatocytes at 48 hours posttreatment. (e), (f) Significant differences of the pleiotropic synergistic effect on cancer cells by Q + C1 and Q + C2 versus C1 + Q and C2 + Q. All data are presented as the mean ± SEM of 4 experiments; statistical evaluations were performed using Tukey’s one-way ANOVA to obtain significant differences (, ) with normalization based on the vehicle group. NC, normal control; DMSO, vehicle; Q, quercetin; C1, 35-dimaleamylbenzoic acid; C2, 35-dimaleimylbenzoic acid.

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