Fig. 3

Apoptosis and DNA damage induced by FVCR in A431 cells. a Cells were treated with indicated concentrations of FVCR for 24 h and subsequently analysed by flow cytometry using PI staining to determine the populations with hypodiploid DNA (sub G1 phase). The sub-G0/G1, G1, S and G2/M phases are represented on the histogram as P5, P2, P4 and P3, respectively. Quantitative data evaluated by the sub-G1 population of individual histograms. The percentage of apoptotic cells (sub G0/G1 peak) was quantified and plotted against the concentrations of FVCR. b Increase in apoptosis was determined by annexin V/PI double staining in A431 cells, at 24 h after FVCR treatment. Bar diagram shows the % of early and late apoptotic cells in FVCR-treated cells. c FVCR-induced degradation of chromosomal DNA into small internucleosomal fragments was evidenced by the formation of 180–200 bp DNA ladders on agarose gel