Fig. 2
FSTL1low MSCs showed impaired treatment capacity in liver fibrosis. A Schematic illustration of the establishment of an in vivo hepatic fibrosis model and the MSC-based treatment strategy. MSC transplantation was performed at 12 weeks post CCl4 injury, livers were harvested at 4 weeks post transplantation for subsequent analysis. B Histological analysis and Sirius red staining of collagen in liver sections. Representative images of the staining are shown (n = 4). C Liver fibrosis score analysis of Sirius red-stained liver sections. The fibrotic area is presented as a percentage. D Serum ALT changes after MSC treatment. E–G: Immunofluorescent staining (E) and qRT-PCR analyses (F–I) of fibrotic markers. Representative images of the staining are shown (n = 4). **, P < 0.01; *, P < 0.05. Bars, 100 µm. All experiments were performed three times. Error bars indicate the mean ± SEM