Figure 1. Clonogenic cultures of adult rat EMCs are homogenous with respect to epicardial marker expression.

A, Phase pictures of isolated and expanded EMCs in culture (500 µm and 100 µm scale, respectively). B and C, Expression of epicardial markers (Wilms Tumor protein homolog (WT1), E-cadherin, Tbx18, Raldh2, and Islet-1) and the cardiomyogene marker Nkx2.5 in cultured EMCs. Relative qRT-PCR data (means+SD, n = 3) were normalized against GAPDH and RPL13A, and depicted relative to an adult (Ad.), embryonic (Em.), or neonatal (Neo.) rat heart. Rat ventricular fibroblasts were used as negative controls for immunocytochemistry (data not shown).