Figure 5.
PDGF-BB regulates vascular remodeling by early pericyte recruitment. A–D) Blood vessel morphology was analyzed by whole-mount lectin staining 4 d after implantation with control CD8 (A), P (B), V (C), or VIPhigh myoblasts (D). E–H) Tibialis anterior muscle sections were immunostained 4 d (E, F), and 7 d (G, H) after implantation with V (E, G), or VIPhigh myoblasts (F, H) with antibodies against CD31 (endothelium, red), NG2 (pericytes, green), and αSMA (smooth muscle cells, blue). PDGF-BB coexpression did not affect initial vascular enlargement by VEGF but induced early pericyte recruitment by 4 d, and by 7 d caused remodeling to normal pericyte-covered vessels instead of aberrant structures. Asterisk (G) indicates the lumen of an aberrant angioma-like structure (n=4 in all cases).