Fig. 4 | Cellular & Molecular Immunology

Fig. 4

From: Mesenchymal stromal cells counteract with age-related immune decline and enhance vaccine efficacy by modulating endogenous splenic marginal reticular cells in elderly models

Fig. 4The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

MSCs promoted the proliferation of splenic marginal reticular cells in aged mice. A MSCs were administered to aged BALB/c mice (>18 months old) and analyzed 3 days later (B–J). B Representative immunofluorescence staining of MSCs (green), MRCs (MAdCAM-1+, fuchsia), FDCs (FDC-M1+, blue), FRCs (PDPN+, orange), and DAPI (gray) and distance analysis; scale bars: 50 μm. C Statistical analysis of the distance between MSCs and each stromal cell population in the spleen. D Representative flow cytometry data of splenic MRCs (CD45−CD31-Ter119− PDGFRβ+MAdCAM-1+) in the sham and MSC (MSC) groups. E Statistical analysis of the proportions of splenic MRCs in the sham and MSC groups; n = 3 mice per group. F Statistical analysis of splenic MRC cell counts in the sham and MSC groups; n = 3 mice per group. G Representative flow cytometry analysis of splenic MRC proliferation (CD45−CD31−Ter119−MAdCAM-1+KI-67+) in the Sham and MSC groups. H Statistical analysis of splenic MRC proliferation in the sham and MSC groups; n = 3 mice per group. I Representative immunofluorescence images of splenic MRCs (MAdCAM-1+, fuchsia), Ki-67 (green) and DAPI (gray); scale bars: 20 μm. J Statistical analysis of splenic MRC counts in the sham and MSC groups; n = 3 mice per group. and statistical analysis of KI-67+ MAdCAM-1+ cells in the sham and MSC groups, n = 5 mice per group. k Representative immunofluorescence staining of splenic MRCs (MAdCAM-1+, fuchsia) and DAPI (gray) in the spleens of aged mice after vehicle (sham) or MSC administration for 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks; scale bars: 30 μm. L Statistical analysis of the splenic MRC area (MAdCAM-1+) in the spleens of aged mice after vehicle (sham) or MSC administration for 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks; n = 5 mice per group. M Representative images of FDC (FDC-M1+, fuchsia) and DAPI (gray) immunofluorescence staining in the spleens of aged mice after vehicle (sham) or MSC administration for 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks; scale bars: 30 μm. N Statistical analysis of the splenic FDC area (FDC-M1+) in the spleens of aged mice after vehicle (sham) or MSC administration for 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks; n = 5 mice per group. The data represent the means ± SEMs of three or more independent experiments. In (E, F, H, J), statistical significance was determined via a two-tailed unpaired t-test. In C, L, N, statistical significance was determined via one-way ANOVA with a multiple comparison test. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, ****P < 0.0001. ns not significant

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