Qige San regulates paclitaxel resistance in esophageal cancer by targeting ferroptosis

Figure 4 Qige San regulated paclitaxel resistance in esophageal cancer cells by targeting ferroptosis through the Akt signaling pathway. A: Cell viability was detected by the Cell Counting Kit-8; B: Cell proliferation measured by colony formation assay; C and D: Total iron and Fe²⁺ level in paclitaxel-resistant esophageal cancer cells; E: Malondialdehyde production in paclitaxel-resistant esophageal cancer cells; F: Protein expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 and SLC7A11. Data are mean ± standard error of the mean (n = 3). ^cP < 0.001 vs control; ^fP < 0.001 vs Qige San (one-way analysis of variance with Tukey’s test); QG: Qige San; PTX: Paclitaxel; Cont: Control; MDA: Malondialdehyde; Fer-1: Ferroptosis inhibitor; act: PI3K activator; GPX4: Glutathione peroxidase 4.