Figure 8.

Autophagy was downregulated in endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) derived from human subjects carrying the rs11237379/NDUFC2 variant. (A-B) Representative western blots and corresponding densitometric analyses of LC3 in EPCs exposed to 20 mM sodium chloride (NaCl) for 72 h (n = 5). (C-F) Evaluation of autophagic flux in EPCs treated with NaCl and exposed to bafilomycin A₁ (bafi) for the last 4 h of the treatment. Representative western blot and corresponding densitometric analyses of LC3 in EPCs of WT subjects are shown (C-D, n = 3). Representative western blot and corresponding densitometric analyses of LC3 in EPCs of MM subjects are also shown (E-F, n = 3). (G-H) Cell senescence experiments: representative images of β- galactosidase (β- gal)-positive EPCs of MM subjects exposed for 72 h to 20 mM NaCl either in the presence or in the absence of 1 µM Tat-Beclin 1 (G, TAT-BEC). Corresponding quantification of β-gal-positive cells (H). WT indicates subjects not carrying the variant; MM indicates subjects homozygous for the T rs11237379/NDUFC2 variant. Results are presented as mean values ± SEM. Statistical significance by ANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s posthoc test; *p < 0.05 **p < 0.001 ***p < 0.0001 for the indicated comparisons.