FIG. 1.

In vitro effects of bmMSCs on ECs. (A) Alamar blue proliferation assay. ECs (5000 cells, subconfluent) were grown in the bottom chamber of a six-well transchamber plate, with (white bar) or without (gray bar) 50,000 bmMSCs in 50% DMEM and 50% MCDB-131 plus 1% FBS for 7 days. Increased Alamar blue reduction indicated increased cell number with bmMSCs (n=3; ***p<0.001). (B) The number of sprouts or (C) the length of sprouts in arbitrary units that formed from the ECs (on Cytodex 3 beads) after 7 days (50% DMEM and 50% MCDB-131 plus 1% FBS) in fibrin gel overlaid with a collagen gel that was either empty (white bar) or contained bmMSCs (1.0×10⁶ cells/mL, gray bar). Sprouting was increased with bmMSCs (±SEM, n=3; ***p<0.001). (D) Typical images of EC-coated bead without bmMSCs in collagen gel (left) or with bmMSCs (right) after 7 days. Scale bar is 100 μm. bmMSCs, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells; ECs, endothelial cells; DMEM, Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium; FBS, fetal bovine serum; SEM, standard error of the mean. Color images available online at www.liebertonline.com/tea