Fig. 1

Aging decreased the quantity and function of CD133⁺/VEGFR2⁺ cells in circulating blood MNCs. a FACS analysis of CD133⁺/VEGFR2⁺ cells in circulating MNCs from young, middle-aged, and old patients post-AMI. b Quantitative analysis of CD133⁺/VEGFR2⁺ cells in circulating MNCs from young, middle-aged, and old patients post-AMI. c Percentage of CD34⁺/CD146⁺, CD11⁺/CXCR4⁺, and VEGFR2⁺/CD133⁺ cells in cultured EPCs determined by FACS analysis. d Number of viable CD133⁺/VEGFR2⁺ cells determined using the MTT proliferation assay. e Migratory capacity of CD133⁺/VEGFR2⁺ cells. f Endothelial colony formation ability (colony formation units, CFU) of CD133⁺/VEGFR2⁺ cells. g Tube formation ability of CD133⁺/VEGFR2⁺ cells. All data are represented as means ± s.e.m. p < 0.05: *vs. young group, ^†vs. middle-aged group (n = 20 in each group). (h), (i), and (j) show the typical images of cobblestone growth (h), colony formation (i), and capillary-like network formation (j) of CD133⁺/VEGFR2⁺ cells from the various groups, respectively. Scale bars = 50 µm. k Representative photomicrograph of CD133⁺/VEGFR2⁺ cells characterized by light microscope shape, immunomicroscopy figures of CD133⁺/VEGFR2⁺ cells double-stained with labeled with DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) and factor VIII. The positive expression of Factor VIII (red) was significantly lower in the old CD133⁺/VEGFR2⁺ cells than in the young cells and the middle-aged cells. The nuclei of CD133⁺/VEGFR2⁺ cells were stained blue with DAPI. Scale bars = 10 µm