Effect of autophagy inhibition on chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in A549 lung cancer cells

Chemotherapy is one of the main methods of cancer treatment and is known to induce autophagy in cancer cells. The main mechanism of chemotherapeutic agents is to promote apoptosis. In the process of chemotherapy, there is a unique association between autophagy and apoptosis. In this study, MDC staining, Hoechst 33342 staining and flow cytometry were used to explore the effects of autophagy on chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in A549 lung cancer cells and the association between autophagy and apoptosis was investigated via the addition of an autophagic inhibitor (3-methyladenine, 3-MA). This study demonstrated that cisplatin and paclitaxel were able to induce autophagy and apoptosis in A549 lung cancer cells and the inhibition of autophagy promoted cisplatin and paclitaxel-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, autophagy may play a protective role in the processes of cisplatin and paclitaxel-induced apoptosis.