AGEs/RAGE Promote Osteogenic Differentiation in Rat Bone Marrow-Derived Endothelial Progenitor Cells via MAPK Signaling

Figure 1

Morphological changes and identification of EPCs in bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells. (a) Round, adherent mononuclear cells were observed after 3 days of culture. (b) Colonies of mature, spindle-shaped EPCs were observed after 7 days of culture. (c) Mature EPCs with a typical cobblestone-like appearance and colony growth were observed after 14 days of culture. (a–c) Magnification, ×100. (d–f) Magnification, ×200. Mononuclear cells were isolated from rat bone marrow cells that (d) phagocytized DiI-ac-LDL dye and (e) were FITC-UEA-1 positive after 7 days of culture. (f) Overlay of images from panels (d) and (e) showing colocalization of DiI-ac-LDL dye and FITC-UEA-1 in the same cells. DiI-ac-LDL: 10-dioctadecyl-3,3,30,30-tetramethyl-indocarbocyanine-labeled acetylated fluorescently labeled low-density lipoprotein; EPC: endothelial progenitor cell; UEA-1: Ulex europaeus agglutinin.

(a) 3 days

(b) 7 days

(c) 14 days

(d) DiI-ac-LDL

(e) FITC-UAE-1

(f) Merged