Skip to main content
Fig. 4 | Molecular Neurodegeneration

Fig. 4

From: Heparan sulfate proteoglycans mediate Aβ-induced oxidative stress and hypercontractility in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells

Fig. 4

Pharmacological knockdown of HSPG prevents Aβ1-40-mediated VSMC constriction. Transformed rat cerebral VSMC surface area was measured via light microscopy 30 minutes after the addition of varying Aβ preparations (panel a). In some cases, cells were pre-treated with heparinase I (HpnI; 5 Sigma U/mL) or heat-inactivated heparinase I (HI HpnI; 5 Sigma U/mL) for 2 h, washed, and treated with Aβ1-40 (panel b). In other cases, cells were co-treated with the NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin (10 μM) and Aβ1−40. After 30 minutes, cells were treated with KCl (100 mM) and surface area was measured at 1, 3, and 5 minutes (panel c, d). Panel c: light micrographs at 0, and 5 minutes after vehicle; Inset: light micrographs at 0, 1, and 5 minutes after KCl addition (scale bar = 10 μM). *p < 0.05 vs. vehicle-treated control. #p < 0.05 vs. comparison group. The arrows represent individual cells undergoing a phenotypical change (e.g., vasoconstriction) following Aβ1-40 treatment

Back to article page