Figure 3.

Hypoxic preconditioning enhances the angiogenic activity of rBM-MSC sheets. Human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured in fresh medium or in conditioned medium (CM) from rBM-MSC sheets (Normoxia or Hypoxia). The number of junctions in the field was counted at 10 × microscopic magnification; scale bar = 500 μm. (n = 3 for each groups). B. The anti-fibrotic activity of preconditioned cell sheets was analyzed using the scratch assay. Confluent rabbit cardiac fibroblasts were scraped to create a scratch approximately 1.2-mm in size and cells were then further cultivated in conditioned medium for 12 h. Wound closure was measured and compared between the experimental groups. Cells were virtually colored in yellow to visualize the wound closure area; scale bar = 500 μm. (n = 6 for each groups). Normo CM; conditioned medium from normo sheet. Hypo CM; conditioned medium from hypo sheet. *p < 0.01, **p < 0.05.