Figure 4.

IGF-2 promotes sprouting of outgrowths from cultured hemangioma explant tissue. (a) Representative phase-contrast image of sprouts arising from explant cultures of hemangioma tissue shows significant enhancement in the presence of IGF-2 compared with control (b). (Bar = 1 mm.) (c) Cells migrating from explanted tissue are stained with G. simplicifolia lectin (red). Nuclei are stained green with DAPI. (d) Percentages of sprouting explants after 7 days in culture compiled from four independent experiments (P < 0.0001). (e) Semiquantitative measurement of the degree of sprouting in those explants that showed observable sprouting. A scale of 1–3 was used to describe degree of sprouting, where 1 represents minimum sprouting and 3, the most advanced sprouting observed in that experiment. Mean scores from three blinded observers scoring two independent experiments are shown. P < 0.0001 for combined means from both experiments.