Fig. 5
SCAP-Exo facilitated wound healing in the palatal gingiva via Cdc42. a Schematic indicating the experimental design for SCAP-Exo or SCAPsiCdc42-Exo infusion in gingival wounds in the palates of mice. b Representative images and quantification of gingival wound areas in the SCAP-Exo and SCAPsiCdc42-Exo groups. Wound healing of the palatal gingiva was significantly delayed in the SCAPsiCdc42-Exo group at 3 and 7 days post wounding compared to the SCAP-Exo group. H&E staining showed that the connective tissue (yellow segment) in the SCAPsiCdc42-Exo group was thinner than that in the SCAP-Exo group at 7 days post wounding. Scale bar = 200 μm. c Histological views showing fewer newly formed blood vessels containing red blood cells in the gingival wounds of the SCAPsiCdc42-Exo group at 1 and 3 days post wounding than in the SCAP-Exo group. Scale bar = 50 μm. d Immunofluorescence staining and quantification showed that the percentage of CD31-positive area (red) in the SCAPsiCdc42-Exo group was lower than that in the SCAP-Exo group at 1 and 3 days post wounding. The epidermis and connective tissue are separated by the white dotted line in the images. The slides were counterstained with DAPI (blue). Scale bar = 50 μm. n = 5 in each group. NS: P > 0.05. *P < 0.05, ***P < 0.001. Error bars: mean ± SD