Figure 3.

Influence of the SDF1/C-X-C receptor 4 axis on the proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenesis of VECs. VECs were first co-treated with AMD3100 (10 µM, 30 min) and the conditioned media from NPCs with OE-SDF1 or controls, and then the following assays were carried out. (A) Western blot analysis was performed to detect the expression levels of p-AKT and AKT in VECs. (B) VEC viability was detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. (C) The tube formation ability of VECs was analyzed by Matrigel tube formation assay, and the total branch length was calculated by ImageJ (magnification, ×100). (D and E) The migration and invasion of VECs was analyzed by Transwell assay with SDF1 overexpressed or non-treated NPCs as a chemokine (magnification, ×100). n=3, *P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001. SDF1, stromal cell-derived factor 1; NPCs, nucleus pulposus cells; OE-, overexpression; p-, phosphorylated; AKT, AKT serine/threonine kinase 1; VECs, vascular endothelial cells.