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
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   SD    Standard deviation
   MIC   Minimum inhibitory concentration
   5FU   5-Fluorouracil
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                          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..
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                          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)⊥)