Fig. 2

Tumor hypoxia elevated HO-1 and VEGF levels. a Tumor hypoxia marker, carbonic anhydrase IX (CA9), increased in the condition mimicking hypoxia compared to normoxia. b Cell viability was increased when HCT-15 cells were cultured in hypoxic condition for 24 h compared to nomoxia. c HO-1 overexpressed in mimic tumor hypoxia condition compared to that in normoxia detected using Western blots. d The secreted VEGF elevated in tumor hypoxia compared to that in normoxia. In addition, a HIF-1α inhibitor, KC7F2, was used to block the HIF-1α function, leading to decrease VEGF levels, revealing that VEGF overexpressed in tumor hypoxia, and was regulated by HIF-1α. *p < 0.05. **p < 0.01. ***p < 0.001