Fig. 6
Effects of MSC treatments on nNOS-IR myenteric neurons. Inhibitory myenteric neurons were identified by anti-nNOS antibody in whole-mount LMMP preparations of the distal colon from sham-treated, TNBS-only, 1 × 105 MSC-treated, 1 × 106 MSC-treated and 3 × 106 MSC-treated guinea-pigs at 72 hours post induction of colitis (a-e). Scale bars = 100 μm. The total number of nNOS-IR neurons was counted per ganglion (average of ten ganglia) (f) and per 2 mm2 area (h) of the colon. The proportion of nNOS-IR neurons to Hu-IR neurons per ganglia (g) and per 2 mm2 area (i). ## P < 0.01, ### P < 0.001 when compared to sham-treated guinea-pigs, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001 when compared to TNBS-only administered guinea-pigs, ^^P < 0.01, ^^^P < 0.001 when compared to 1 × 105 MSC-treated guinea-pigs. n = 4/group/time point. LMMP longitudinal muscle-myenteric plexus, nNOS neuronal nitric oxide synthase, IR immunoreactive, MSCs mesenchymal stem cells, TNBS 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid