Fig. 2: Excess INHBA/ActA-mediated angiocrine inhibits the angiogenic capacity in PAECs.

a Representative images and quantitation of tube length in a Matrigel tube-formation assay (n = 3 biologically independent values in each group) and apoptosis induced by serum starvation assessed by TUNEL staining (n = 3 biologically independent cells in each group) in PAECs transfected with either GFP or INHBA in the presence or absence of recombinant Follistatin (100 ng/mL). TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells are indicated by arrows. b Representative images and quantitation of a Matrigel tube-formation assay and apoptosis induced by H₂O₂ (200 μM/mL) in PAECs treated with conditioned medium (CM) derived from PAECs transfected with either GFP or INHBA in the presence or absence of recombinant Follistatin (100 ng/mL) (n = 3 biologically independent values in each group). TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells are indicated by arrows. c Representative images and quantitation of a Matrigel tube-formation assay (n = 3 biologically independent values in each group) and apoptosis (n = 3 biologically independent cells in each group) in PAECs treated with vehicle or ActA (20 ng/mL) in the presence or absence of recombinant Follistatin (100 ng/mL). TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells are indicated by arrows. Bars: 200 μm (tube-formation assays); 100 μm (apoptosis assays). ****P < 0.0001; ***P < 0.001; **P < 0.01; *P < 0.05. Exact P values are shown in the Source data file. Data are presented as the mean ± SEM. One-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test for multiple comparisons was used to compare the tube lengths and apoptotic cell counts between each group for all the figures.