Figure 4

LOX-1 promotes proliferation of VSMCs and ectopic expression of protein markers in VECs and VSMCs. LOX-1 protein was up- or downregulated by transfection of pLOX1-IRES2-EGFP or lox1-siRNA, respectively, in both VECs and VSMCs. A, D Cell immunofluorescence experiments show the extent of proliferation and migration of VECs and VSMCs of the double-cell co-culture in the absence (A) or presence (D) of oxLDL. Red color indicates α-SMA, and green color indicates VE-cadherin. The bars indicate 60 μm in (A) and (D). B, E Western blots show levels of LOX-1 protein after transfection with the LOX-1 overexpression vector and siRNA, respectively in both VSMC and VEC in the absence (B) or presence (E) of oxLDL (n = 5). *P < 0.05.C, F Western blots indicate shifting protein levels of VE-cadherin and α-SMA affected by lox-1 overexpression or siRNA knockdown in the absence (C) or presence (F) of oxLDL (n = 5). *P < 0.05 vs VEC ctrl, #P < 0.05 vs VSMC ctrl. The oxLDL concentration was 100 μg/mL.