Fig. 1.

Exposure to parathyroid hormone (PTH) induces endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) in aortic endothelial cells (ECs). A–E: ECs were incubated with PTH (10⁻⁷ mol/l) for 48 h, as indicated. A and B: mRNA levels were assessed by real-time PCR. C–E: protein expression levels were determined by Western blot. The data are expressed as the means ± SDs (n = 6). *P < 0.05 vs. CTL group. F: immunofluorescence of CD31 (green) and fibroblast-specific protein 1 (FSP1) (red) was observed by confocal microscopy. Scale bar = 50 μm. α-SMA, α-smooth muscle actin.