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. 2016 Jan 14;6:19379. doi: 10.1038/srep19379

Figure 6. Apelin-13 accelerates proliferation and migration of VSMCs in the presence of PDGF-BB.

Figure 6

(a) Vascular smooth muscle cells express APJ. Representative images of immunocytochemistry for APJ (green) and α-SMA (red) are shown. Nuclei were stained with DAPI (blue). (b) Apelin-13 enhances the effect of PDGF-BB on VSMC proliferation. Apelin-13 accelerated VSMC proliferation as well as PDGF-BB production, and these effects were collaboratively enhanced in a culture containing apelin-13 and PDGF-BB. (c) Apelin-13 enhanced the effect of PDGF-BB on VSMC migration. Apelin-13 also enhanced the effect of PDGF-BB on VSMC migration. (d) Apelin-13 enhanced PDGFR-β expression in VSMCs. Apelin-13 was added to the VSMC culture and expression of PDGFR-β and APJ was analyzed using western blotting and immunocytochemistry. PDGFR-β expression on VSMCs was dose-dependently increased following apelin-13 administration (left). Immunocytochemistry for PDGFR-β (red) also showed increased PDGFR-β expression in VSMCs after treatment with apelin-13 (1 μM) for 24 h (right). Scale bar = 50 μm. *p < 0.01 vs. control; †p < 0.01 vs. apelin; ‡p < 0.01 vs. PDGF-BB.