LIST OF SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS
µl Microlitre
µg Microgram
ml Milliliter
mg Milligram
mM Milimolar
µM Micromolar
rpm Revolution per minute
DMSO Dimethyl sulphoxide
PBS Phosphate buffer saline solution
DMEM Dulbecco modified eagles media
ROS Reactive oxygen species
MMP Mitochondrial Membrane Potential
PCD Programmed cell death
ATP Adenosine tri phosphate
DNA Deoxy ribose nucleic acid
RNA Ribose nucleic acid
PS Phosphatidylserine
NCCS National Centre for Cell Sciences
DCF-DA Dichlorodihydrofluorescein di-acetate
PCR Polymerase chain reaction
EDTA Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid
i
SD Standard deviation
MIC Minimum inhibitory concentration
5FU 5-Fluorouracil
ii
LIST OF TABLES
S.No. Name of Table Page No.
1.1 Lung cancer statistics in India for the year 2018. 1
3.1 Sequences of primers used in the study 21-22
4.1 Binding energy of the complex of carboplatin 24
with LC3 and caspase3, and details of inhibition
constant and interacting amino acids.
4.2 Relative change in the expression of apoptosis 29
and autophagy marker gene as observed in
carboplatin treated A549 lung cancer cells
before and after autophagy inhibition..
iii
LIST OF FIGURES
S.No. Name of Figure Page No.
1.1 Proposed tumor suppressing and tumor- 4
promoting roles of autophagy in cancer.
2.1 Development of cancer 6
2.2 Intrinsic and Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathways 11
2.3 Mechanism of Autophagy 13
3.1 Grids in heamocytometer 19
4.1 Molecular docking interaction of carboplatin 23
with (a) LC3 and (b) Caspase3
4.2 Dose-dependent inhibition of A549 lung cancer 24
cells by carboplatin after 24 h of treatment, as
assessed by MTT assay. The IC50 was
determined to be 100 µM.
4.3 (a) Gel image depicting the expression of LC3 25
before and after autophagy inhibition. (b)
Graphical representation of the change in LC3
mRNA expression after autophagy inhibition.
4.4 (a) Fluorescence micrographs of reactive 26
oxygen species generation in A549 cells after
treatment with carboplatin under different
conditions for 24 h. (b) Graphical representation
of fluorescence intensity of DCF-DA staining in
A549 cells, as quantified using Image J
software.
4.5 (a) Fluorescence micrographs showing changes 27
in mitochondrial membrane potential in A549
lung cancer cells after treatment with
iv
carboplatin under different conditions for 24 h.
(b) Graphical representation of fluorescence
intensity of Mito Tracker Red staining in A549
cells, as quantified using Image J software.
4.6 (a) Changes in the expression of autophagy and 28
apoptosis marker genes in carboplatin-treated
A549 cells before and after autophagy
inhibition, as observed by RT-PCR analysis.
Relative change in expression of autophagic and
apoptotic marker genes, (b) BAD and BCL x(L)
(c) LC3 and CASPASE3. (1) Control (2)
Carboplatin (3) Control (starved)(4) Carboplatin
(A(autophagy)⊥)