Detailed Materials and Methods are provided in the Supporting Information. Primary murine LECs, human LECs (ScienCell), or a cell line derived from transformed mouse liver endothelial cells (TSECs)7 were grown with endothelial culture media with 10% serum and 1% endothelial growth supplement. Human HSCs (ScienCell) were grown in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium with 10% serum. LECs were isolated from whole selleck products rat liver by way of repeated mincing followed by enzymatic

digestion and CD-31–based immunomagnetic separation as described8 with modifications. Human HSCs were serum-starved and treated with either vehicle or sorafenib in serum-free Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium, and conditioned media (CM) was harvested over 12-24 hours. Human LECs and HSCs were plated on Matrigel-coated four-well glass slides, and tubulogenesis was visualized to study angiogenic interactions between LECs and HSCs in vitro as described.3

Transmission electron microscopy was performed selleck chemicals to visualize vascular connections between human LECs and HSCs cultured in Matrigel. Chemotaxis of human LECs was measured by way of Boyden assay in response to CM with additional compounds added to media as indicated in individual experiments. Immunofluorescence was performed on murine LECs or TSECs as described.9 Murine LECs and TSECs were grown

to monolayer on collagen-coated glass slides and stained for ZO-1. Images were captured using a confocal laser scanning microscope. RNA was isolated from human HSC (RNeasy/Qiagen), reverse-transcribed (Superscript/Invitrogen) and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed (Applied Biosystems 7500). Human HSCs were transfected with Flag-tagged KLF6 or control vector. After 36 hours, cells were serum-starved for 12 hours, stimulated with or without PDGF for 12 hours, and chromatin immunoprecipitation was performed (EZ-ChIP kit) as described.10 Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to bile duct ligation (BDL) to medchemexpress induce fibrosis as described.11 Rats were injected with vehicle or sorafenib6 (1.5 mg/kg body weight) for in vivo experiments. Procedures were performed per Mayo Clinic Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee guidelines. Animals were injected with a radio-opaque liquid-silicone compound (Microfil, MV-122; Flow Tech., Inc., Carver, MA) through the portal vein (infusion rate, 8-10 mL/minute; pressure, 10-12 mm Hg). Intact animals were placed under refrigeration at 4°C after perfusion to allow polymerization. Livers were scanned and reconstructed as described.