Cell Communication in a Coculture System Consisting of Outgrowth Endothelial Cells and Primary Osteoblasts
Figure 4
Gap junctional communication in the coculture model system. Several Cx43-positive areas could be detected in our coculture model system after a cultivation time of one week (a) and four weeks (b). Areas such as those shown were scaled up and presumptive gap junctions were found where cells were adjacent. A longer cultivation time led to an upregulation of relative connexin mRNA expression (c) and it seemed that pOBs expressed more connexin mRNA than did OECs (d). One week values (c) were set as control (=1.0) for cocultures and OEC values (d) were set as control (=1.0) to compare pOB and OEC monocultures. Scale bars: 75 μm. .
