Fig. 6
Exosomes from BMMSCs alleviated autoimmunity through polarizing macrophages to a unique M2-like phenotype in a mouse lupus nephritis model. Mouse was peritoneal injected pristane. Four months later, PBS (n = 6), Exo/Anti-Control (exosome with normal level of miRNAs, n = 6), or Exo/Anti-miRNAs (miR-16- and miR-21-depleted exosome, n = 6) were tail vein injected. The mice were euthanized 3 days post-final injection. The blood and kidneys were collected. A and B The pro- (A) and anti-inflammatory (B) cytokines in the mouse serum were checked using ELISA. C The F4/80+ macrophage infiltration in the kidneys. D Macrophage surface markers B7H4 and CD138 were checked by using flow cytometry. E The level of chemokine CCL20 secreted from the macrophages was measured using ELISA. F The efferocytosis of pHrodo Red-labeled apoptotic TCMK-1 cells by the macrophages. G–I The percentage of IL-17+ Treg cells in IL-17+ T cells was calculated by flow cytometry. The infiltration of CD4+ T cell in the kidney from the mice that received various treatment (G). The percentage of IL-17+ cells in CD4+ T cell (H). The percentage of Foxp3+ cells in IL-17+ T cell (I). Data are expressed as mean ± SD of n = 6, unless specified. **p < 0.01, and ***p < 0.001. ns, nonsignificant. IC, isotype control