Figure 2

25-OHC promotes endothelial cell proliferation. A/ Short exposure to 25-OHC promoted EC proliferation. Viable cells that excluded trypan blue were counted after 24 hours of growing cells in 25-OHC. Fold difference in the number of viable cells from seeded cells (taken as 1) was most pronounced in bmLECs compared to bmVECs and bmAECs. Mean of fold differences between treated and untreated bmAEC, bmVEC, and bmLEC from three trials analysed by t-test yielded p-values of 0.021, 0.016, and 0.0036 respectively (n = 3). B/ Temporary boost in EC proliferation due to 25-OHC exposure for 12 hours was dependent on Cox-2 activity. ECs were treated with the selective Cox-2 inhibitor celecoxib for 12 hours after 25-OHC exposure. Celecoxib (5 μM) reversed the small increase in cell number of viable cells due to 25-OHC. The number of viable bmVECs treated with celecoxib alone dropped below the number of viable vehicle-treated bmVECs. Proliferative effects of 25-OHC also applied to human colorectal carcinoma cells HCT-116. HCT-116 has previously shown to be Cox-2 deficient. For each cell type, mean of fold differences between treatments from three trials analysed by ANOVA generated p-values ≤ 0.001 (n = 3). For each treatment with celecoxib, 25-OHC, and both together, the mean fold differences between each cell type analysed by ANOVA generated p-values of 0.084, 0.011, and 0.00038, respectively (n = 3).