Fig 6.

CM augments mobilization and homing of EPCs to the post-MI heart. To examine the effect of CM treatment on EPC mobilization, peripheral blood was sampled from rats at the end of the 1 week study and total MNC were counted (A). acLDL⁺lectin⁺ EPCs cultured from the MNC fraction were counted (B). In a separate experiment, the effects of control medium or CM on DiI⁺ EPCs homing to the ischemic rat heart were examined. At 1 week after MI myocardial sections were examined for the presence of DiI⁺ cells (C). Myocardial sections were stained to identify Factor VIII (FVIII)⁺ vessels co-localized with DiI⁺ EPCs (D). Data are presented as mean ± S.E.M. N= 10–12/group. *P < 0.05.