Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 16, 2026

Generation of Lymphocytic Microparticles and Detection of their Proapoptotic Effect on Airway Epithelial Cells
Published on: February 20, 2015
Autophagy Attenuates MnCl2-induced Apoptosis in Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells
Zhun Yuan1, Xian Ping Ying2, Wei Jian Zhong2
1Department of Toxicology, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Toxicological Research and Risk Assessment for Food Safety, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China.
Objective:
To investigate the role of autophagy in MnCl2-induced apoptosis in human bronchial epithelial 16HBE cells.
Methods:
Cell proliferation was measured by MTT assay. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and apoptosis were measured by flow cytometry. Autophagic vacuoles were detected by fluorescence microscopy. Cellular levels of apoptosis and autophagy-related proteins were measured by western blotting.
Results:
16HBE cell proliferation was inhibited by MnCl2 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. MnCl2-induced 16HBE cell growth inhibition was related to MMP depolarization prior to the induction of apoptosis. Our data revealed that MnCl2-induced apoptosis in 16HBE cells was mediated by decreased expression of Bcl-2 and increased levels of cleaved caspase-3. It was observed that when we exposed 16HBE cells to MnCl2 in a dose-dependent manner, the formation of autophagic vacuoles and the levels of LC-3B-II were elevated. RNA interference of LC3B in these MnCl2-exposed cells demonstrated that MMP loss and apoptosis were enhanced. Additionally, the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK increased the cellular levels of Bcl-2 and decreased apoptosis, but did not affect the cellular levels of LC3B in MnCl2-treated 16HBE cells.
Conclusion:
MnCl2 dose- and time-dependently inhibits 16HBE cell proliferation and induces MMP loss and apoptosis. Autophagy acts in a protective role against MnCl2-induced apoptosis in 16HBE cells.
More Related Videos
09:18Identification of Intracellular Signaling Events Induced in Viable Cells by Interaction with Neighboring Cells Undergoing Apoptotic Cell Death
Published on: December 27, 2016
19:44Enhancement of Apoptotic and Autophagic Induction by a Novel Synthetic C-1 Analogue of 7-deoxypancratistatin in Human Breast Adenocarcinoma and Neuroblastoma Cells with Tamoxifen
Published on: May 30, 2012
Related Concept Videos
Autophagic Cell Death
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and...
Phagocytosis of Apoptotic Cells
Normal cells contain receptors that prevent them from being recognized...
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway
Autophagy
An autophagic pathway consists of a series of signaling events activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions such as food deprivation,...