Fig. 4: MSCs relay neural signals to the DRN via pulmonary sensory nerves. | Nature Communications

Fig. 4: MSCs relay neural signals to the DRN via pulmonary sensory nerves.

From: Mesenchymal stromal cells alleviate depressive and anxiety-like behaviors via a lung vagal-to-brain axis in male mice

Fig. 4

a Polysynaptic pseudorabies PRV-GFP was injected into the DRN (Bregma: −4.6 mm). Representative images show that the infected neurons were mainly 5-HT neurons. Scale bar, 100 µm. b Schematic diagram showing the experimental procedures. c–f Dense retrograde labeling was observed in the NTS from slices 1–4 (Bregma: −7.8 mm,−7.6 mm, −7.4 mm, −7.2 mm, respectively; scale bar, 200 µm) (c), in the nodose ganglion (scale bar, 200 µm) (d), and in the lung (scale bar, 500 µm) (f). Schematic diagram of the retrograde transduction of PRV across synapses from the DRN region to the lung (e). g Representative images showing that RFP-MSCs were located in close proximity to PRV-GFP-marked fibers in the lungs. Scale bar, 200 µm. h, i The polysynaptic herpes simplex virus, HSV-GFP, was injected bilaterally into the NTS. Scale bar, 200 µm. j Representative images showing the HSV-GFP-infected 5-HT neurons within the DRN. Scale bar, 100 µm. Figure 4a, d, f–g, j are the representative images from three independent experiments. Illustrations created with BioRender.com. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.

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