Fig. 3

The calcium mobilizing effects of SiNPs in HUVECs. a, representative intracellular free Ca²⁺ images. Compared with the baseline, both SiNP-20 and SiNP-100 at 100 μg/mL exposing for about 120 s induced significant [Ca²⁺]_i elevation which suggests calcium mobilization. Blocking CRAC channel with YM58433 abolished these effects of SiNP-20 and SiNP-100. b, time course of ΔF/F0 ratio. c, statistical [Ca²⁺]_i peak (ΔF/F0) (n = 3 independent experiments). Note that both SiNP-20 and SiNP-100 induced significant calcium transients, and SiNP-100 was more potent than SiNP-20 in this effect. * p < 0.05, SiNP-20 vs. SiNP-100. ^###p < 0.001, SiNPs+YM58483 vs. SiNPs alone. d, results of non-invasive micro-test (NMT) showing abrupt induction of Ca²⁺ influx by either SiNP-20 or SiNP-100 (100 μg/mL) in HUVECs. Downward currents represented Ca²⁺ influx while upward currents represented Ca²⁺ efflux in this method. e, statistical results of NMT indicating the average Ca²⁺ influx induced by SiNP-20 and SiNP-100. SiNP-100 induced more Ca²⁺ influx than SiNP-20 (*** p < 0.001), n = 4 cells for each treatment