Angiotensin II Attenuates the Bioactivities of Human Endothelial Progenitor Cells via Downregulation of β2-Adrenergic Receptor

Figure 3

Effects of AT1R blocker, telmisartan (TERT), on EPCs. (a) Cell viability assay upon treatment with TERT, an AT1R blocker, using the WST-1 assay. NS = not significant. (b) Ang II- and TERT-treated EPCs were harvested, and the expression of ADRB1, ADRB2, and AT1R was analyzed using Western blotting. Expression of ADRB2 was decreased following treatment of EPCs with Ang II, whereas protein levels of ADRB2 were restored in AT1R-blocked cells. (c) Human EPCs were pretreated with an AT1R blocker and incubated with Ang II for 24 h. Each group of cells was seeded onto Matrigel GFR with or without ADRB2 agonists. Quantitative graph of the tube formation data. The tube number was measured using ImageJ software. vs. control, vs. negative control, and vs. Ang II or DMSO plus Ang II. (d) Migration ability was examined using the scratch wound healing assay. Each group of EPCs was seeded, and migratory capacity was observed for 6 h. Quantitative graph of migration assay results. All experiments were performed in triplicates at least. vs. control, vs. negative control, and and vs. Ang II or DMSO plus Ang II. (e, f) PI staining of DNA in EPCs detected by flow cytometry. Graph of the percentage of S-phase cells in each group measured by PI staining. vs. control, vs. negative control, and vs. Ang II or DMSO plus Ang II.

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)