Ixazomib promotes apoptosis in ESCC cells
ESCC cells treated with ixazomib shrank and turned round was observed microscopically after 48 h, suggestive that ixazomib treatment could trigger apoptosis. Therefore, we used the Annexin V-FITC/PI assay to confirm this speculation. In the apoptotic assays, Kyse150 and Kyse510 cells treated with ixazomib at 0.25-1 µM increased the Annexin V-positive cell populations in a dose-dependent manner (Figure 3A, B). In accordance with the fluorescence activated cell sorting analyze results, ixazomib treatment also the activation of caspase 3 and inhibition of Bcl-2 was strongly induced in ESCC cells (Figure 3C). These results suggested that ixazomib could trigger apoptosis in ESCC cells.