Fig. 2

Effects of elevated sodium concentrations on HA-VSMCs viability and the role of HIF-1α. (A) Time- and dose-dependent effects of varying sodium concentrations on HA-VSMC viability. Cells were exposed to a range of sodium concentrations (132–167 mmol/L) for 24, 48, 72, and 96 h. Cell viability was assessed and expressed as a percentage. (B) Comparative analysis of HA-VSMCs viability under high-sodium conditions in shcontrol, HS, and shHIF-1α + HS groups at 72 h post-treatment. Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation. Statistical significance was determined using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post-hoc test. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001 compared to the shcontrol group. shcontrol, negative control group; HS, high salt group (152 mmol/L Na+); shHIF-1α + HS, high salt knockdown group treated with high salt; HA-VSMCs, human aortic vascular smooth muscle cell; HIF-1α, hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha.