Figure 5.

Metformin therapy ameliorates BM-EPC function in db/db mice. (A) Representative images of the tube formation assay of BM-EPCs. The number of tubes in each sample was calculated from 5 fields (magnification, ×50; scale bar, 100 µm) at random. Treatment with metformin ameliorated the tube formation of BM-EPCs. (B) EPC numbers were detected by flow cytometry and the percentage of Sca-1⁺/Flk-1⁺ cells was calculated. Metformin elevated the circulating EPC number in db/db mice. *P<0.05 vs. Con; ^#P<0.05 vs. db/db. Values are expressed as the mean ± standard error of the mean (n=7 mice/group). Con, control; Met, metformin; BM-EPC, bone marrow-endothelial precursor cell; PE, phycoerythrin; FITC, fluorescein isothiocyanate; Sca-1, ataxin-1; Flk-1, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2; lpf, low-power field.