Figure 4
Effect of hADSC and hBMSC on (A) lung pathology (H&E stain) and (D) inflammation score. H&E staining exhibited significant infiltration of inflammatory cells in the subepithelial, peribronchial, and perivascular lesions of the OVA and OVA + PBS groups compared to the CON group. Compared to the OVA + PBS group, both the OVA + hADSC and OVA + hBMSC groups revealed attenuation of inflammatory cell infiltration, especially the latter group. The inflammatory scores showed significantly attenuated airway inflammation, in both hMSC-treated group but the effect tended to be better in the OVA + hBMSC than OVA + hADSC group. Effect of hADSC and hBMSC on goblet cell hyperplasia in lung tissues, demonstrated by (B) PAS staining and (E) PAS score. PAS-stained sections showed prominent goblet cell hyperplasia in the OVA and OVA + PBS groups; both MSC treatments attenuated this. The PAS scores were significantly higher in the OVA and OVA + PBS groups than the MSC treatment groups. Effect of hADSC and hBMSC on the area of peribronchial airway smooth muscle. (C) Peribronchial α-SMA was immunostained in lung section. (F) The immunostained area was quantified by using light microscope. Repeat OVA challenge significantly increased the immunostained area of peribronchial α-SMA compared to that of the CON group; both MSC treatments alleviated this. OVA ovalbumin, PBS phosphate buffer saline, hADSC human adipose-derived stem cell, hBMSC human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell, Br bronchus, Bl blood vessel, Ep epithelium, Eo eosinophil. ***P < 0.001 compared to control, #P < 0.05, ###P < 0.001 compared to the OVA + PBS group.
