Fig. 6: Histological and inflammatory improvements in radioactive esophageal injury with infused DPSCs.

a, b The histological images of the esophagus revealed that the thickness of the epithelium in the DPSC group was significantly increased compared with those in the control and sham-operated groups (×400). c The TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-8 concentrations in the DPSC group were not significantly different from those in the sham-operated group (P > 0.05). The TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-8 concentrations in the control group were higher than those in the DPSC and sham-operated groups (P < 0.0001). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.001, and ***P < 0.0001, the DPSC group compared with the control group. #P < 0.05, ##P < 0.001, and ###P < 0.0001, the DPSC group compared with the sham-operated group