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Methylparaben Modulates the Relationship Between Autophagy and Apoptosis in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Lines Cover

Methylparaben Modulates the Relationship Between Autophagy and Apoptosis in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Lines

Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis
Volume 74 (2026): Issue 1 (January 2026)
By: Ewa Jablonska,  Agnieszka Iwaniuk,  Wioletta Ratajczak-Wrona,  Kinga Henryka Nowacka and  Marzena Garley  
Open Access
|Nov 2025

Figures & Tables

Fig 1.

Expression of ERβ on FaDu and Detroit cells. Western blot analysis demonstrates the effect of MeP and MeP + Q and MeP + Lut on the expression of ER ERβ ıν FaDu (A) and Detroit 562 (B) cells. Error bars represent the SD (±SD) of the mean values from two independent experiments per each line. *Difference with cells untreated with MeP (p < 0.05). ERs, estrogen receptors; MeP, Methylparaben; SD, standard deviation.
Expression of ERβ on FaDu and Detroit cells. Western blot analysis demonstrates the effect of MeP and MeP + Q and MeP + Lut on the expression of ER ERβ ıν FaDu (A) and Detroit 562 (B) cells. Error bars represent the SD (±SD) of the mean values from two independent experiments per each line. *Difference with cells untreated with MeP (p < 0.05). ERs, estrogen receptors; MeP, Methylparaben; SD, standard deviation.

Fig 2.

Expression of the autophagy-related proteins in FaDu and Detroit cells. Western blot analysis demonstrates the effect of MeP and MeP + Q and MeP + Lut on the expression of beclin-1, LC3β, APG5, ATG7 proteins in FaDu (A) and Detroit 562 (B) cells. Error bars represent the SD (±SD) of the mean values from two independent experiments per each line. *Difference with cells untreated with MeP; adifference from cells treated with MeP + Q (p < 0.05); bdifference from cells treated with MeP + Lut (p < 0.05). MeP, Methylparaben; SD, standard deviation.
Expression of the autophagy-related proteins in FaDu and Detroit cells. Western blot analysis demonstrates the effect of MeP and MeP + Q and MeP + Lut on the expression of beclin-1, LC3β, APG5, ATG7 proteins in FaDu (A) and Detroit 562 (B) cells. Error bars represent the SD (±SD) of the mean values from two independent experiments per each line. *Difference with cells untreated with MeP; adifference from cells treated with MeP + Q (p < 0.05); bdifference from cells treated with MeP + Lut (p < 0.05). MeP, Methylparaben; SD, standard deviation.

Fig 3.

Apoptosis in FaDu cells. Representative flow cytometry (FACS) analysis via Annexin V-FITC/PI staining for 48 h is presented. The bar graphs present the percentage of apoptotic cells as a sum of Q1 (late apoptosis) and Q3 quadrants (early apoptosis); necrotic cells as Q2 quadrants and viable cells as Q4 quadrants. Mean values from three independent experiments ± SD are presented. The bar graphs present the percentage of apoptotic cells. *Difference with cells untreated with MeP; adifference with cells treated with MeP + Q (p < 0.05). MeP, Methylparaben; SD, standard deviation.
Apoptosis in FaDu cells. Representative flow cytometry (FACS) analysis via Annexin V-FITC/PI staining for 48 h is presented. The bar graphs present the percentage of apoptotic cells as a sum of Q1 (late apoptosis) and Q3 quadrants (early apoptosis); necrotic cells as Q2 quadrants and viable cells as Q4 quadrants. Mean values from three independent experiments ± SD are presented. The bar graphs present the percentage of apoptotic cells. *Difference with cells untreated with MeP; adifference with cells treated with MeP + Q (p < 0.05). MeP, Methylparaben; SD, standard deviation.

Fig 4.

Apoptosis in Detroit 562 cells. Representative flow cytometry (FACS) analysis via Annexin V-FITC/PI staining for 48 h is presented. The bar graphs present the percentage of apoptotic cells as a sum of Q1 (late apoptosis) and Q3 quadrants (early apoptosis); necrotic cells as Q2 quadrants and viable cells as Q4 quadrants. Mean values from three independent experiments ± SD are presented. The bar graphs present the percentage of apoptotic cells. *Difference with cells untreated with MeP (p < 0.05); adifference from cells treated with MeP + Q (p < 0.05); bdifference from cells treated with MeP + Lut (p < 0.05). MeP, Methylparaben; SD, standard deviation.
Apoptosis in Detroit 562 cells. Representative flow cytometry (FACS) analysis via Annexin V-FITC/PI staining for 48 h is presented. The bar graphs present the percentage of apoptotic cells as a sum of Q1 (late apoptosis) and Q3 quadrants (early apoptosis); necrotic cells as Q2 quadrants and viable cells as Q4 quadrants. Mean values from three independent experiments ± SD are presented. The bar graphs present the percentage of apoptotic cells. *Difference with cells untreated with MeP (p < 0.05); adifference from cells treated with MeP + Q (p < 0.05); bdifference from cells treated with MeP + Lut (p < 0.05). MeP, Methylparaben; SD, standard deviation.

Fig 5.

Expression of mitochondrial proteins in FaDu and Detroit 562 cells. Western blot analysis demonstrates the effect of MeP and MeP + Q and MeP + Lut on the expression of caspase 3, Bcl-2, and Bax proteins in FaDu (A) and Detroit 562 (B) cells. The representative bands of the analyzed proteins to β-actin are illustrated. Samples containing 30 μg of protein were submitted to electrophoresis and immunoblotting. Error bars represent the (±SD) of the mean values from two independent experiments per line. *Difference with cells untreated with MeP; adifference with cells treated with MeP + Q (p < 0.05); bdifference with cells treated with MeP + Lut (p < 0.05). MeP, Methylparaben; Methylparaben; SD, standard deviation.
Expression of mitochondrial proteins in FaDu and Detroit 562 cells. Western blot analysis demonstrates the effect of MeP and MeP + Q and MeP + Lut on the expression of caspase 3, Bcl-2, and Bax proteins in FaDu (A) and Detroit 562 (B) cells. The representative bands of the analyzed proteins to β-actin are illustrated. Samples containing 30 μg of protein were submitted to electrophoresis and immunoblotting. Error bars represent the (±SD) of the mean values from two independent experiments per line. *Difference with cells untreated with MeP; adifference with cells treated with MeP + Q (p < 0.05); bdifference with cells treated with MeP + Lut (p < 0.05). MeP, Methylparaben; Methylparaben; SD, standard deviation.

Fig 6.

Percentage of proliferating FaDu cells. Cytometric analysis of the percentage of proliferating FaDu cells after 48-h incubation with MeP and MeP + Q and MeP + Lut. Error bars represent the SD (±SD) of the mean values from two independent experiments per line. *Difference with cells untreated with MeP; adifference with cells treated with MeP + Q (p < 0.05); bdifference with cells treated with MeP + Lut (p < 0.05); cdifference between cells treated with MeP + Lut and cells treated with MeP + Q (p < 0.05). MeP, Methylparaben; SD, standard deviation.
Percentage of proliferating FaDu cells. Cytometric analysis of the percentage of proliferating FaDu cells after 48-h incubation with MeP and MeP + Q and MeP + Lut. Error bars represent the SD (±SD) of the mean values from two independent experiments per line. *Difference with cells untreated with MeP; adifference with cells treated with MeP + Q (p < 0.05); bdifference with cells treated with MeP + Lut (p < 0.05); cdifference between cells treated with MeP + Lut and cells treated with MeP + Q (p < 0.05). MeP, Methylparaben; SD, standard deviation.

Fig 7.

Percentage of proliferating Detroit 562 cells. Cytometric analysis of the percentage of proliferating Detroit 562 cells after 48-h incubation with MeP and MeP + Q and MeP + Lut. Error bars represent the SD (±SD) of the mean values from two independent experiments per each line. *Difference with cells untreated with MeP (p < 0.05). MeP, Methylparaben; SD, standard deviation.
Percentage of proliferating Detroit 562 cells. Cytometric analysis of the percentage of proliferating Detroit 562 cells after 48-h incubation with MeP and MeP + Q and MeP + Lut. Error bars represent the SD (±SD) of the mean values from two independent experiments per each line. *Difference with cells untreated with MeP (p < 0.05). MeP, Methylparaben; SD, standard deviation.

Fig 8.

Expression of signaling proteins in FaDu and Detroit 562 cells. Western blot analysis demonstrates the effect of MeP and MeP + Q and MeP + Lut on the expression of pPI3K, pAKT1/2/3, survivin proteins in FaDu (A) and Detroit 562 (B) cells. The representative bands of the analyzed proteins to β-actin are illustrated. Samples containing 30 μg of protein were submitted to electrophoresis and immunoblotting. Error bars represent the SD (±SD) of the mean values from two independent experiments per line. *Difference with cells untreated with MeP (p < 0.05). MeP, Methylparaben; SD, standard deviation.
Expression of signaling proteins in FaDu and Detroit 562 cells. Western blot analysis demonstrates the effect of MeP and MeP + Q and MeP + Lut on the expression of pPI3K, pAKT1/2/3, survivin proteins in FaDu (A) and Detroit 562 (B) cells. The representative bands of the analyzed proteins to β-actin are illustrated. Samples containing 30 μg of protein were submitted to electrophoresis and immunoblotting. Error bars represent the SD (±SD) of the mean values from two independent experiments per line. *Difference with cells untreated with MeP (p < 0.05). MeP, Methylparaben; SD, standard deviation.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aite-2026-0005 | Journal eISSN: 1661-4917
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Language: English
Submitted on: Jun 30, 2025
Accepted on: Oct 2, 2025
Published on: Nov 24, 2025
Published by: Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 1 issue per year
Keywords:
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines,
Methylparaben,
Autophagy-related proteins,
Apoptosis,
Proliferation,
Flavonoids
Related subjects:
Medicine,
Basic medical science,
Biochemistry,
Immunology,
Clinical medicine,
Clinical medicine, other,
Clinical chemistry

© 2025 Ewa Jablonska, Agnieszka Iwaniuk, Wioletta Ratajczak-Wrona, Kinga Henryka Nowacka, Marzena Garley, published by Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License.

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