We then explored the role of mitochondria in the
2-MCA-induced apoptosis in COLO 205 cells. Because
early apoptotic cell death often involves mitochondrial
depolarization followed by release of apoptogenic molecules from mitochondria into cytosol, we investigated
mitochondrial dysfunction by evaluating mitochondrial
membrane potential (DCm) in 2-MCA-treated COLO
205 cells with the mitochondria-specific dye JC-1 using
a spectrophotometer. Fig. 5a demonstrates that 2-MCA
induced the loss of DC
m, as implicated by decrease of
DC
m in a dose-dependent fashion.