Fig. 6.

Silencing of E2F3 results in decreased apoptotic activity in HPASMC exposed to hypoxia. A: representative Western blot showed successful silencing of E2F3 in HPASMCs. β-Actin was used as protein loading control. B: effect of E2F3 knockdown on activity of executioner caspases 3 and 7. Same number of HPASMC transfected with siE2F3 or siCon were cultured in starvation medium for 2 days at hypoxic condition. Caspase 3/7 activity was determined using Apo-ONE Homogeneous Caspase-3/7 Assay and normalized by number of viable cells (determined by MTS assay). The value was shown as percentage of control from four replicates. **P < 0.01. C: effect of E2F3 knockdown cell apoptosis was also investigated by analyzing cell death with FACScan flow cytometer. Cells were stained with FITC-conjugated annexin V and propidium iodide (PI).