Calpain-2 activity promotes aberrant endoplasmic reticulum stress-related apoptosis in hepatocytes

Figure 3 Dithiothreitol induces caspase-12 and caspase-3 activation and increases calpain-2 activity in BRL-3A cells. After treatment with 2.0 mmol/L dithiothreitol for varying periods, the relative levels of caspase-12, cleaved caspase-12 and cleaved caspase-3 as well as calpain-2 expression in each group of BRL-3A cells were quantified by Western blotting. Furthermore, the activity of calpain-2 in each group of cells was measured. Data are representative images or expressed as the mean ± SD of each group of cells from three separate experiments. A: Caspase-12 activation; B: Caspase-3 activation; C: Calpain-2 expression; D: Calpain-2 activity. ^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01.