Fig. 1

The effects of decitabine, PBA and the combined treatment on cell viability and proliferation. A Inhibition of cell proliferation of Caco-2, HCT-116-p53wt and HCT-116-p53null cells following single decitabine treatment at different drug concentration for up to 96 h. B Inhibition of cell proliferation of Caco-2, HCT-116-p53wt and HCT-116-p53null cells following single PBA treatment at different drug concentrations for up to 96 h. C Cell viability of Caco-2, HCT-116-p53wt and HCT-116-p53null cells following the combined decitabine (3 µM) and PBA (3 mM) single treatment for 120 h. D Treatment scheme of Caco-2, HCT-116-p53wt and HCT-116-p53null cells following daily treatment with decitabine or PBA or combined decitabine/PBA treatment for 5 and 10 days. E Inhibition of cell proliferation of Caco-2, HCT-116-p53wt and HCT-116-p53null cells following daily decitabine treatment at different drug concentrations for 5 days (E1) and 10 days (E2). F Inhibition of cell proliferation of Caco-2, HCT-116-p53wt and HCT-116-p53null cells following daily PBA treatment at different drug concentrations for 5 days (F1) and 10 days (F2). G Cell viability of Caco-2, HCT-116-p53wt and HCT-116-p53null cells following combined decitabine and PBA treatment for 5 days and 10 days. H Fluorescent phase contrast imaging of Edu-labeled Caco-2 cells following daily decitabine, PBA and the combined drug treatment for 48 h and 96 h (H1). The histograms show the percentage change of Edu-positive cells (H2). The image analysis is based on three independent experiments. Each microscopic field of view is divided into four quadrants, and a total of 12 images per epi-drug treatment were evaluated. All images are at 20X- magnifications. I BrdU labeling of colon cancer cells following decitabine or PBA daily treatments for 96 h (I1) and the combined decitabine/ PBA daily treatment for 48 h and 120 h (I2). We observed a dose proportional inhibition of cell proliferation following drug treatment. Statistical significance *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, ****p < 0.0001