FIG 8.

p17-mediated in vivo vasculogenesis is abolished in BECN-1 KO mice. Ten days after subcutaneous injection of growth factor-reduced Cultrex BME plugs containing PBS, p17 (200 ng/ml), or ET-1 (200 ng/ml), the implants were immunostained with a MAb to mouse CD31. Neovessel formation (arrows) occurs in implants of wild-type (WT) mice containing p17 (B) or ET-1 (C) and in implants of BECN-1 KO mice containing ET-1 (F). Neovessels were absent in implants of BECN-1 KO mice containing p17 (E) as well as in implants of both WT and BECN-1 KO mice containing PBS (A and D). Representative figures for each group are shown. Scale bar, 50 μm. A semiquantitative score was applied for the amount of CD31-positive cells in the implant: 0, no positive cells; 1, a single positive cell with moderate staining intensity; 2, one focus of more than 5 to 30 positive cells; 3, two or more foci of more than 30 positive cells. The standard error of mean is indicated by vertical lines. Statistical analysis was performed by one-way ANOVA; a Bonferroni posttest was used to compare data (***, P < 0.001).