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Fig. 1 | Stem Cell Research & Therapy

Fig. 1

From: The role of hepatocyte growth factor in mesenchymal stem cell-induced recovery in spinal cord injured rats

Fig. 1

BMSC-CM promotes the functional recovery of SCI rats through the modulation of NSC differentiation and the inhabitation of inflammation. a BMSC-CM reduced the proportion of GFAP+ cells and increased the percentage of neurons after 7 days co-culturing with NSCs in the presence of BMP4 (20 ng/ml) when compared to NSCs only treated with BMP4 (n = 5). b In the control groups (SCI rats treated with DMEM/F12), a scar boundary comprised of several GFAP-positive astrocytes was surrounded the cavity in the injured lesion at day 28 after SCI onset. There were few Map-2+ cells in this boundary. In contrast, the BMSC-CM-treated rats showed clear neurite outgrowth and extension into the scar boundary around the cavity. Western-blot results also proved this alteration. The SCI rats that received BMSC-CM had a higher Map-2 expression and a lower GFAP expression compared to the rats without BMSC-CM treatment (n = 3) (the rats that received sham-operation served as sham groups). c The BMP4-induced upregulation of p-Smad 1/5/8 expression was reversed by the treatment of BMSC-CM in the NSCs at day 3 (n = 3). d Both BMP4 and p-Smad 1/5/8 expressions were downregulated by the treatment of BMSC-CM during the early phases following SCI onset (n = 3). e Treatment with BMSC-CM markedly decreased pro-inflammatory cytokine expression (TNF-α, IL-6) and increased anti-inflammatory cytokine expression (IL-4, IL-10) in the SCI rats (n = 5). Smaller volume of cavity (detected at day 28, n = 3, f), decreased caspase-3 expression (analysis at day 3, n = 3, g) and better outcome of neurological scores (tested from day 1 to day 28, n = 12, h) were found in the rats that received the BMSC-CM treatment. *p < 0.05, #p > 0.05; error bars, s.d; scale bars, 100 μm in a, b; 250 μm in f; Western-blot bands revealed in Fig. 4

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