Skip to main content
. 2021 Jul 8;31(10):1072–1087. doi: 10.1038/s41422-021-00528-3

Fig. 3. CD146+ pericytes isolated from human GBMs protect GBM cells from TMZ-induced apoptosis.

Fig. 3

a Schematic diagram of pericyte isolation from human GBMs. CD146 was used as a pericyte marker for FACS and the isolated CD146+ pericytes were excluded from potential contamination of endothelial cells (marked by CD31) or leukocytes (marked by CD45). b Immunofluorescence staining of the pericyte (PC) markers α-SMA and CD146, GBM cell marker GFAP, endothelial cell (EC) marker CD31 and leukocyte marker CD45 in CD146+ cells sorted from human GBMs. Scale bars, 25 μm. c, d Representative images (c) and morphometric analysis (d) of cell spreading of pericytes (red, left panel of c) or GBM cells (red, right panel of c) co-cultured with HBMECs (green). **P < 0.01. Scale bars, 50 μm. e Schematic diagram of transwell co-culture of pericytes and GBM cells with TMZ treatment. Human pericytes or GBM cells were added into the upper or lower chamber of transwells, respectively. TMZ or DMSO was added into the upper chamber 24 h after co-culture. Apoptosis and cell survival analyses were performed 48 h after the treatment. f, g Apoptosis (f) and cell survival (g) of GBM-1 cells with or without pericyte co-culture and TMZ treatment. ns, not significant. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01. h Schematic diagram of GBM cells cultured in pericyte CM or control GBM cell CM followed by TMZ or DMSO treatment. i, j Apoptosis (i) or cell survival (j) of GBM-1 cells with or without pericyte CM stimulation and TMZ treatment. ns, not significant. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01. Experiments in c–j were independently performed three times.