Figure 3

Inhibitory effects of OLP-MSCs and paeoniflorin-pretreated OLP-MSCs on PHA-stimulated PBMC proliferation. PBMCs were cultured alone or cocultured with increasing numbers of OLP-MSCs or paeoniflorin-pretreated OLP-MSCs in the presence or absence of PHA for 72 h. Afterward, cell numbers were counted using a Cell Counting Kit-8. The most effective ratio for the suppression of allogeneic T-cell proliferation was 1:20 under (a) cell‒cell contact and (b) Transwell conditions. Analysis of the T-cell proliferation rate after paeoniflorin pretreatment of MSCs under (c) cell‒cell contact and (d) Transwell conditions. The proliferation effect of MSCs on T lymphocytes was assessed by a Cell Counting Kit-8. (e) Effect of OLP-MSCs and paeoniflorin-pretreated OLP-MSCs on T lymphocyte cell cycle progression by flow cytometry. (f) Representative flow cytometry graphs of cells treated with OLP-MSCs and paeoniflorin-pretreated OLP-MSCs for 3 days (top). Mean values of the cell cycle distribution in different groups over 3 days (n > 4, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01; #P < 0.05, ##P < 0.01). PF, paeoniflorin.