Figure 4.

PCSK9 Expression and Secretion Is Induced by Osteogenic Milieu in Valve Interstitial Cells

(A) Box and whisker plots represent PCSK9 transcript levels in valve interstitial cells (VIC) cultured for 7 days in normal or osteogenic media (n = 6). RNA levels were normalized to GAPDH expression. (B) Box and whisker plots represent secreted PCSK9 levels from VICs cultured for 7 days in normal or osteogenic media (n = 4). PCSK9 levels were normalized to total protein content. (C) Mean-centered correlation between secreted PCSK9 and calcium levels in VICs. The linear correlation between the 2 variables was performed with the Pearson correlation coefficient. (D) Bar graph shows the calcification potential, after 7 days, in normal and osteogenic media (n = 3) of VICs treated with a neutralizing antibody anti-PCSK9 (NAb anti-PCSK9) or immunoglobulin G1 as control (IgG1).