Fig. 4

HUCMSCs promote the polarization of M2-type anti-inflammatory macrophages through the activation of PPARγ. A–C, E, and F LPS and INF-γ-induced macrophages for polarization into M1-type macrophages with or without co-culture with hUCMSCs; M2-type macrophages induced by IL4, IL10, and IL13 were used as positive controls. A Flow cytometry analyses of CD86 + and CD206 + macrophages in intrahepatic CD68-positive macrophages in each treatment group. B Statistical analysis of the percentage of CD68 + CD86 + and CD68 + CD206 + cells in each group (n = 3). C The mRNA expression of M1-related and M2-related genes in macrophages from each group was determined by RT-qPCR(n = 3). D Representative liver sections from each group stained with fluorescent CD68 (red fluorescence) and PPARγ (green fluorescence) (bar = 100 μm). E PPARγ mRNA expression levels in the different treatment groups (n = 3). F Downstream PPARγ mRNA expression levels in the different treatment groups (n = 3). Data are presented as mean ± SEM. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, ****p < 0.000, and ns (no statistical significance) (all p values were obtained by the two-tailed Student’s test)