FIG. 6.

VEGF-overexpressing islets showed progressive inflammation. A: Macrophage infiltration was determined by Mac-2 immunostaining in islets from 2-month-old wild-type (WT), VEGF^low, and VEGF^high mice (top panel) and 12-month-old WT and VEGF^low and 8-month-old VEGF^high mice (bottom panel). B: Quantification of Mac-2–positive area in pancreas sections from 2-, 8-, and 12-month-old WT, in 2-, 8-, and 12-month-old VEGF^low, and in 2- and 8-month-old VEGF^high mice (n = 4 animals/group): WT mice (white bar), transgenic VEGF^low mice (gray bar), and transgenic VEGF^high mice (black bar). C–E: Islets from VEGF^low and VEGF^high mice displayed increased expression of key inflammatory cytokines. CCL-2 (C), IL-1β (D), and TNF-α (E) were measured by qPCR from isolated islets from 2- and 12-month-old VEGF^low and 2- and 5-month-old VEGF^high mice (n = 4 pools of islets from three mice per pool): WT mice (white bar), transgenic VEGF^low mice (gray bar), and transgenic VEGF^high mice (black bar). Scale bars, 100 µm. *P < 0.05 vs. age-matched WT mice. (A high-quality digital representation of this figure is available in the online issue.)