Diabetic conditions increases Ephrin-B2 signaling in pericytes.

Human brain microvascular pericyte cells were treated with high glucose (25 mM) and sodium palmitate (200 uM) to mimic diabetic conditions. Equimolar of L-glucose was used as an osmotic control. A) Western blot analysis showed a significant increase in Ephrin-B2 expression and activation in pericytes under diabetic conditions. Moreover, results showed that diabetes caused an increase in downstream angiogenic signal as illustrated with enhanced focal adhesion kinase activation in pericytes. (*P<0.05 vs NG, n = 4). B) Pericytes were treated with high glucose (25mM glucose) and sodium palmitate (200 uM) showed 2 fold increase in cell migration assay. Silencing Ephrin-B2 was achieved using Ephrin-B2 siRNA. Silencing Ephrin-B2 in pericytes abolished diabetes-induced increase migration. (Two way ANOVA, Gene vs diabetic condition, significance: yes, Interaction: yes, n = 3 duplicate).