Figure 2. VEGF protein levels are affected by culture conditions in pericytes and endothelial cells. A: Representative real-time reverse transcriptase–PCR amplification plots relative to VEGF mRNA content in pericytes (PC) and endothelial cells (EC; Ct mean±SEM: PC: 26.9±1.1; EC: 28.8±1.7). B: Representative western blotting of VEGF protein in the total homogenates of pericytes and endothelial cells cultured separately (PC_mono and EC_mono, respectively). C-D: Mean gray levels ratios (mean±SEM) of VEGF/α-tubulin immunoreactivities measured by western blotting in PC (C) and EC (D). All the comparisons were performed between cells in monoculture (_mono) and cells in coculture (_cocu). *p<0.05; **p<0.01, n=4. E: VEGF protein levels measured in cell culture conditioned media of PC_mono, EC_mono, and coculture. **p<0.01; ***p<0.001, n=4, Tukey-Kramer test.