Salinomycin Promotes Anoikis and Decreases the CD44+/CD24- Stem-Like Population via Inhibition of STAT3 Activation in MDA-MB-231 Cells
Fig 5
Salinomycin decreases the CD44+/CD24- stem-like population during anchorage-independent growth and inhibits mammosphere formation.
(A) The CD44+/CD24- stem-like population in several breast cancer cell lines [luminal-type (MCF7 and T47D), HER2-amplified (BT474, MDA-MB-453, and SKBR3) and TNBC (MDA-MB-231)] was evaluated by flow cytometry. (B) Effect of salinomycin (2 μM, 48 h) on CD44+/CD24- levels in anchorage-dependent and -independent conditions. The graph represents the percentage of CD44+/CD24- cells (right panel). Data are expressed as mean ± SEM (n = 3, independent experiments) and were analyzed by two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s post hoc test (++ p<0.01, versus anchorage-independent DMSO control; NS, not significant). (C) MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 mammospheres were cultured for 5 days in serum-free suspension conditions in the presence or absence of salinomycin (2 μM). Graphs represents the number (per 104 cells) and volumes (mm3) of mammospheres (bottom panel, Student’s t-test, ** p<0.01).