L-arginine from elder human mesenchymal stem cells induces angiogenesis and enhances therapeutic effects on ischemic heart diseases

Figure 6 Vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor secretion and expression of mitogen active protein kinase, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase in different mesenchymal stem cells from older donors cultured in serum-free and hypoxic conditions. A and B: Vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor secretion in different aged patient-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) cultured in serum-free and hypoxic conditions. n = 3; C: Western blotting results for mitogen activated protein kinase, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression in different MSCs cultured in serum-free and hypoxic conditions; D-F: Relative quantitative protein expression comparison. n = 3. ^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01, ^cP < 0.001. ASL: Arginine succinate lyase; shRNA: Short hairpin RNA; BMSCs: Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells; ADSCs: Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cell; NC: Negative control; VEGF: Vascular endothelial growth factor; bFGF: Basic fibroblast growth factor; eNOS: Endothelial nitric oxide synthase; VEGFR2: Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2; MAPK: Mitogen active protein kinase.