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Fig. 8 | Stem Cell Research & Therapy

Fig. 8

From: PEDF-derived peptide promotes tendon regeneration through its mitogenic effect on tendon stem/progenitor cells

Fig. 8

The 29-mer induces nucleostemin+ TSPC proliferation in an ERK- and STAT3-dependent manner. a BrdU-labeling assay. Primary rabbit tendon cells were cultured to near confluence in culture flasks for 14 days and then verified by nucleostemin immunostaining (> 98%). Cells were pretreated with PD98059 (10 μM; ERK inhibitor), 50 μM STAT3 inhibitor, or SB203580 (10 μM; p38 MAPK inhibitor) for 2 h before treatment with 10 μM 29-mer and 10 μM BrdU for another 4 h. BrdU (red)-labeled nuclei were detected by immunofluorescence microscopy. Representative images are from three independent experiments. b The percentages of BrdU+ cells per total cells (counterstained by Hoechst 33258; blue) were calculated from ten randomly selected microscopic fields in each treatment. Results are expressed as mean ± SD of three independent experiments. *P < 0.05 versus solvent-treated; **P < 0.05 versus 29-mer-treated cells. c Representative immunoblots and densitometric analysis of the effect of the 29-mer on phosphorylation of ERK2 and STAT3 in nucleostemin+ TSPC; the immunoblots were scanned and quantitated at individual sites and normalized to STAT3 and ERK2, respectively

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