Melatonin-induced ferroptosis in pancreatic cancer cells by stimulating endoplasmic reticulum stress and inhibiting alanine-serine-cysteine transporter 2-driven glutamine metabolism

Figure 4 Melatonin + CCT020312 or BPTES enhances anticancer effects and reduces Panc-1 and AsPC-1 cell viability. A: Panc-1 and AsPC-1 cells were treated with high melatonin concentrations combined with the protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase agonist CCT020312 for 24 hours, and cell viability was assessed using the cell counting kit-8 assay (n = 3); B: Colony formation assay showing the effect of combined treatment of melatonin and CCT020312; C: Panc-1 and AsPC-1 cells were treated with high melatonin concentrations combined with the glutaminase 1 inhibitor BPTES for 24 hours, and cell viability was assessed using the cell counting kit-8 assay (n = 3); D: Colony formation assay showing the effect of combined treatment of melatonin and BPTES. MLT: Melatonin; DMSO: Dimethyl sulfoxide. ^bP < 0.01, ^cP < 0.001, and ^dP < 0.0001.