Correlations between SDF-1α and TNF-α with EPCs subsets in different groups of mice, and Rev-D4F inhibited TNF-α-induced impairment of EPCs functions.

<p>A, The increased level of SDF-1α significantly correlated with the increased number of the CD34/FLK-1 subset. B, TNF-α levels inversely correlated with CD34/FLK-1 subset numbers. Samples were pretreated with a PI3K inhibitor LY294002 (30μM) or AKT inhibitor perifosine (5μM) for 2 h and incubated with Rev-D4F (50μg/ml) for 6h, EPCs were treated with TNF-α for 24h to detect the functions of viability (C and D), migration (E and F) and tube formation (G and H). EPCs tube formation ability was calculated by the average of complete tube lengths. Data are means ± SD from at least three independent experiments. <i>**P</i> <0.01 versus control, ^<i>##</i><i>P</i> <0.01 versus TNF-α, ^ΔΔ<i>P</i> <0.01 versus LY294002.