Figure 1. RNA interference disrupts desferrioxamine induced up-regulation of VEGF in vitro

The hVEGF5.siRNA or control reagents were transfected into 293 cells (A) and Hela cells (B) prior to inducing hypoxia with desferrioxamine. VEGF levels were measured in cell supernatants by ELISA 24 h after hypoxia induction. Hypoxia induced VEGF expression. In both 293 cells and HeLa cells, exposure to hVEGF1.siRNA reduced the amount of VEGF produced after hypoxia (p<0.01 for both cell types). There was no significant difference in the amount of VEGF produced by hypoxic cells when control reagents (EGFP1.siRNA) or no siRNA were delivered. The error bars represent the standard errors of the mean of 4 or 3 replicates, respectively, for the 293 and HeLa cells.