Research Article

From Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Insulin-Producing Cells: Comparison between Bone Marrow- and Adipose Tissue-Derived Cells

Figure 2

The metabolic assay. The oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and the extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) were measured before and after adding the pharmacological agents to the respiring BM-MSCs (solid black circles) and AT-MSCs (open red circles): (a) the OCR profile. Oligomycin, an inhibitor of ATP synthesis, was added to block ATP synthesis by the mitochondria. CCCP, a protonophore, was added to drive the electron transport to its maximum rate. Finally, rotenone, a complex I inhibitor, and antimycin A, a complex III inhibitor, were added to block the electron transport chain. The nonmitochondrial oxygen consumption was left as a residual. (b) The ECAR profile. Initially glucose was added, followed by oligomycin and 2 deoxyglucose to inhibit glycolytic activities, thus leaving ECAR due to cellular nonglycolytic activities. (c) The basal metabolic profile. OCR (aerobic metabolism) and ECAR (glycolytic flux) were concurrently measured and compared among both types of cells.
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