Mechanism of HN-3 cell apoptosis induced by carboplatin: Combination of mitochondrial pathway associated with Ca2+ and the nucleus pathways

Abstract Laryngeal carcinomas have been recognized as a serious health threat worldwide. In the present study, the mechanism of apoptosis in HN-3 cells induced by carboplatin (CBCDA), a widely used anti-cancer drug, was investigated. The pro-apoptotic effect of CBCDA in HN-3 cells was demonstrated to be time- and dose-dependent. Therefore, the stages of apoptosis were investigated in chronological order. The results demonstrated that excessive generation of cytosolic Ca2+ in HN-3 cells was initially triggered when cells were exposed to CBCDA,