Figure 3.
Mitochondrial oxidative stress and dysfunction inhibit tube formation on 2D Matrigel in human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs). HCAECs were treated with vehicle (A), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF; 50 ng/mL; B), rotenone (Rot; 1 µmol/L; C), and Rot/VEGF (D). Bar graph summarizing the number of tubes formed under each condition is shown in E. Although VEGF induced robust formation of tubes on 2D Matrigel, Rot inhibited this process in the presence or absence of VEGF (*P<0.05; n=4; 8–12 wells/condition), implying that mitochondrial bioenergetics is the upstream regulator of growth factor–mediated signaling cascade.