Fig. 5: Biological intervention mechanism of the BPCL. | Nature Communications

Fig. 5: Biological intervention mechanism of the BPCL.

From: Snowflake-inspired and blink-driven flexible piezoelectric contact lenses for effective corneal injury repair

Fig. 5

a Stages in corneal alkali burn repair include inflammation and keratocyte activation (i), stromal myofibroblast hyperactivation and fibrosis (ii), LESCs activation and stromal remodeling (iii), corneal repair and clarity restoration (iv). b Mouse IHC and IFC staining images of multiple growth factors, including TGF-β, α-SMA, and MMP9. c EMGV of mice, P < 0.01 for TGF-β, P < 0.05 for α-SMA, P < 2.4 × 10−4 for MMP9, n = 3 independent samples. d SMGV of mice, P < 2.6 × 10−4 for TGF-β, P < 0.012 for α-SMA, P < 0.008 for MMP9, n = 3 independent samples. e Rabbit IHC and IFC staining images of multiple growth factors, including TGF-β, α-SMA, and MMP9. f EMGV and g SMGV of rabbits, P < 0.05 for TGF-β, P < 0.045 for α-SMA, P < 0.015 for MMP9, n = 3 independent samples. h Mouse IFC staining images of growth factors including K3 and K12. (i) EMGV of mice K3 and K12, P < 0.047 for K3, P < 1.3 × 10−4 for K12, n = 3 independent samples. j Rabbit IFC staining images of growth factors including K3 and K12. k EMGV of rabbit K3 and K12, n = 3 independent samples. In box plots (c, d, f, g, i, k), the dot is the mean, the centerline is the median, box limits are the lower quartile (Q1) and upper quartile (Q3), and whiskers are the most extreme data points that are no more than 1.5 × (Q3 - Q1) from the box limits. Data were analyzed by parametric two-tailed Student’s t-test, n.s, *, **, and *** represent nonsignificant (P > 0.05), P < 0.05, P < 0.01, and P < 0.001, respectively. Differences were considered significant at P < 0.05. LESCs limbal epithelial stem cells, MN normal mice without cornea injury mice in the intervention group, MS mice in the sham group, MB mice in the blank control group, RN normal rabbits without cornea injury, RI rabbits in the intervention group, RS rabbits in the sham group, RB rabbits in the blank control group, EMGV mean gray value of epithelium, SMGV mean gray value of stroma, a. u. arbitrary units, TGF-β transforming growth factor beta, α-SMA alpha-smooth muscle actin, MMP9 matrix metalloproteinase 9, IHC immunohistochemistry, IFC immunofluorescence, K3 Keratin 3, K12 Keratin 12.

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