Applied Electric Fields Polarize Initiation and Growth of Endothelial Sprouts

Figure 2

Photos of endothelial cell migration in fibrin gels in the absence of fibroblasts. (a) After one day in fibrin gel, the endothelial cells remained tightly adhered to the collagen-coated beads and small sprouts formed. (b) After three days in the absence of fibroblasts, endothelial cells had detached from the beads and migrated into the fibrin gel (black arrows). (c) In the presence of a 155 mV/mm DC EF, some cells started migrating toward the cathode in the fibrin gel (black arrows) after one day. (d) After 3 days in the EF, many of the cells had detached from the beads and migrated toward the cathode pole in the fibrin gel (black arrows) at significantly greater distances than in the absence of the EF shown in Figure 2(b) (scale bars 100 μm).

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