IGF‐1 promotes angiogenesis in endothelial cells/adipose‐derived stem cells co‐culture system with activation of PI3K/Akt signal pathway

IGF-1 and co-culture between cells facilitate the process of angiogenesis via the PI3-kinase/Akt signalling pathway. In ECs, IGF-1 stimulates the expression of angiogenesis-related growth factors with the activation of the PI3-kinase/Akt signalling pathway. Co-cultured ECs exposed to excess VEGF-A and other angiogenesis-related growth factors para-secreted from ASCs exhibit high expression of angiogenesis-related genes and proteins. In ASCs, IGF-1 induces the recruitment and function of ASCs by up-regulating the expression of PDGFB, MMPs and α-SMA. Crosstalk with ECs further facilitates changes in ASCs.