Confocal Raman data analysis enables identifying apoptosis of MCF-7 cells caused by anticancer drug paclitaxel

• Published in: Journal of biomedical optics 2013-05, Vol.18 (5), p.056010-056010
• Main Authors: Salehi, Hamideh, Middendorp, Elodie, Panayotov, Ivan, Dutilleul, Pierre-Yves Collard, Vegh, Attila-Gergely, Ramakrishnan, Sathish, Gergely, Csilla, Cuisinier, Frederic
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algorithms; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Biological Physics; Confocal; Cytochromes; Cytochromes c - chemistry; Cytochromes c - metabolism; Cytological Techniques - methods; Cytoplasm; Data processing; Diffusion; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods; MCF-7 Cells; Microscopy; Microscopy, Confocal - methods; Mitochondria; Paclitaxel - pharmacology; Physics; Spectrum Analysis, Raman - methods
• ISSN: 1083-3668; 1560-2281
• DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.18.5.056010

Confocal Raman microscopy is a noninvasive, label-free imaging technique used to study apoptosis of live MCF-7 cells. The images are based on Raman spectra of cells components, and their apoptosis is monitored through diffusion of cytochrome c in cytoplasm. K-mean clustering is used to identify mitochondria in cells, and correlation analysis provides the cytochrome c distribution inside the cells. Our results demonstrate that incubation of cells for 3 h with 10 μM of paclitaxel does not induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. On the contrary, incubation for 30 min at a higher concentration (100 μM) of paclitaxel induces gradual release of the cytochrome c into the cytoplasm, indicating cell apoptosis via a caspase independent pathway.