Figure 7.

Annexin A2 regulates the conversion of plasminogen into plasmin and subsequent increases in cell number. Levels of annexin A2 (A2) in ASM cells were knocked down by transfection with gene-silencing RNA (siRNA). (A) Levels of A2 protein in siRNA-transfected ASM cells. (B) Plasmin activity in the medium of cells following siRNA transfection and incubation with plasminogen (5 μg·mL⁻¹) for 24 h. (C) Cell number following siRNA transfection and incubation with plasminogen (5 μg·mL⁻¹) or plasmin (5 mU·mL⁻¹) for 48 h. (D) Cell number in cultures replenished with CM from siRNA transfected cells, and incubated with plasminogen (5 μg·mL⁻¹) or plasmin (5 mU·mL⁻¹) for 48 h. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 (n = 5–9).