Fig. 4
Therapeutic effect of MSCs in a murine fibrosis model on the modulation of exacerbated inflammation. A The murine BLM-induced fibrosis model used in the study; administration of intratracheal BLM at 3 mg/kg on day 0. Intratracheal or intravenous treatment of MSCs (105 cells) on day 10. B The change of immune cells including macrophages, neutrophils, eosinophils, and lymphocytes in BAL fluid. C The number of neutrophils and eosinophils in lungs analyzed by flow cytometry. D Chemotaxis mRNA changes associated with neutrophils and eosinophils in the lung. E H&E stain (× 100) of lung histology and their scoring; Inflammation score: 0 (absent), 1 (discrete), 2 (mild), 3 (moderate), and 4 (intense). F MT stain (× 40) of lung histology and their scoring; Fibrosis score: 0 (none), 1 (mild), 2 (moderate), and 3 (severe). G TUNEL stain (× 200) of lung histology and their scoring; Apoptosis index (%): Quantification of the TUNEL-staining cells. H Fn1 and Mmp9 expression in lungs. I Result of Sircol assay showing changes in soluble collagen concentration in the lungs. n = 5 for each group, *indicates P < 0.05, **indicates P < 0.01, ***indicates P < 0.001, ****indicates P < 0.0001. All results are representative of at least three independent experiments. MSC mesenchymal stem cell, BLM bleomycin, BAL bronchoalveolar lavage, H&E hematoxylin and eosin, MT Masson's trichrome, TUNEL terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling, Fn fibronectin, Mmp9 matrix metalloproteinase-9