Figure 2: Knockout of miR-21 reduces inflammatory cell infiltrate to the pancreas during caerulein-induced pancreatitis.

(a) Pancreata of WT and miR-21^−/− mice treated with caerulein were harvested at d1 (n=12), d3 (n=5) and d7 (n=5) after the last caerulein injection. Pancreatic sections were stained with anti-CD11b antibodies. (b) CD11b-positive cell counts in pancreatic tissue sections. (c) Pancreata of WT and miR-21^−/− mice treated with caerulein were harvested at d1 (n=12) after the last injection. Pancreatic sections were stained with antibodies against F4/80. (d) F4/80-positive cell counts in pancreatic tissue sections. (e) Pancreata of WT and miR-21^−/− mice treated with caerulein were harvested at d1 (n=12) after the last injection. Pancreatic sections were stained with antibodies against Gr1(Ly-6G). (f) Gr1-positive cell counts in pancreatic tissue sections. (g) Representative histological sections of pancreata stained with haematoxylin from caerulein-treated WT mice 5 weeks after transplantation with WT or miR-21^−/− bone marrow. Mice were euthanized 12 h after the last dose of caerulein. (h) Percentage of necrotic cells in pancreata. WT (WT), WT mice with WT bone marrow (n=5 for both PBS and treated groups); WT (miR-21^−/−), WT mice with miR-21^−/− bone marrow (n=5 for both PBS and treated groups). Scale bars, 50 μm (a,c,e) and 100 μm (g). Values in bar graph are presented as mean±s.d. (n=5). **P<0.01 indicates a significant difference between miR-21^−/− tissues and the WT control (two-way analysis of variance). NS, not significant.