Figure 2.

The effect of compounds 1 and 2 on BAEC viability. The cytotoxic effect was determined using (A) The MTT assay; cells (7.5 × 10³) were incubated with the test compounds or with staurosporine (1.4 μM) an inducer of active caspase-3 and of apoptosis for 72 h and MTT added. The absorbance was read at 570 nm. (B) Active-caspase-3 apoptosis assay: cells (4.0 × 10⁴/ml) were incubated with the test compounds or with staurosporine (1.0 μM, 24 h) and stained with anti-active caspase-3 as described below. Experiments were performed in triplicate. Representative immunofluorescence photomicrographs for BAEC were taken as described below. A group of apoptotic cells are highlighted in II.