Research Paper Volume 16, Issue 11 pp 9876—9898
High estrogen induces trans-differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells to a macrophage-like phenotype resulting in aortic inflammation via inhibiting VHL/HIF1a/KLF4 axis
Figure 4. E2 induces transformation of MOVAS cells into a macrophage-like phenotype. (A) MOVAS cells were treated with E2 (0.1 nM, 1 nM, 10 nM, 100 nM, 1 μM, and 10 μM) for 4 days. The contractile phenotype marker, ACTA2, and the macrophage marker, CD68, were detected by qRT-PCR. (B–D) MOVAS cells were treated with 10 μM E2 for 4 days (n = 4). (B) ACTA2 and CD68 levels in MOVAS cells were detected by immunofluorescence analysis. (C) F4/80 antibody expression on the surface of MOVAS cells was detected by FCM analysis (n = 3). (D) Contraction phenotype-related markers (ACTA2, TAGLN, CNN1, and MYH11) and macrophage-like phenotype-related markers (CD68 and LGALS3) in MOVAS cells were evaluated by qRT-PCR (n = 4). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, indicating statistically significant data between groups.