Fig. 2

Exosome from BMMSCs attenuated SLE nephritis in vivo. MRL/lpr mice (18-week-old) were tail vein injected 100 µg exosomes on day 0, 3, 7 (SLE + Exo, n = 5); PBS was used as control (SLE, n = 5). On day 10, all mice were killed and the kidneys were harvested to evaluate the therapeutic effect of exosome in vivo. A The exosomal markers TSG101 and Alix were determined via immunoblotting (n = 3). B The accumulation of the DILC-18 labeled exosomes (red) in the kidney (scale bar: 100 µm). C Immune cell infiltration was examined by H&E stain (scale bar: 100 µm). D Glomerular mesangial expansion was checked through PAS stain (scale bar: 50 µm). E The level of dense deposits in glomerular mesangial was determined by electron microscope (EM). F and G Immune deposits level in glomerular mesangial and endocapillary (green, scale bar: 100 µm). H Macrophage (F4/80⁺) infiltration in renal interstitium of kidney from exosome-treated mice (scale bar: 100 µm). I CD3⁺ T cell infiltration in glomeruli (scale bar: 50 µm). J CD206⁺ macrophage infiltration in glomeruli (scale bar: 50 µm). Data are expressed as mean ± SD of n = 5, unless specified. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 and ***p < 0.001. ns, nonsignificant