Figure 1
TpF1 induces proliferation and migration of endothelial cells and their organization in microcapillary-like structures.
(a) HUVECs were exposed to TpF1, VEGF (positive control) or vehicle (saline). After 12 h, cells were counted and normalized to the number of plated cells set as 1 arbitrary unit (A.U.). The graph shows cell proliferation under the different conditions. Data are represented as the mean ± S.D. of three independent experiments. (b) Fast DiI-labelled HUVECs were seeded on the upper chambers of 24-transwell plates. TpF1, VEGF, or vehicle, were added to the lower chambers. Migrated cells were quantified after 2 and 6 h by a microplate reader and expressed as % of seeded cells. Data are presented as mean ± S.D. of three independent experiments. (c) HUVECs were seeded on Matrigel-coated coverslips and exposed to TpF1, VEGF or vehicle, for 12 h. Cells were stained with Phalloidin-Alexa Fluor 546 and analyzed by confocal microscopy at 200 × magnification. Scale bar = 300 μm.
