Figure 3: VEGF expression in COPD rats.
(A) showed the strongest immunolabelling of VEGF (brown), that was present in the tracheal epithelium, vascular smooth muscle cells, infiltrated inflammatory cells, and phagocytic cells (immunohistochemistry staining; original magnification ×200). (B) showed the relative expression level of VEGF of COPD groups were obviously higher than normal rats and decresed in rats dealt with sunitinib. (C) untreated COPD rats can express higher VEGF mRNA level in lung tissue homogenates, which can be significantly inhibited by sunitinib. (D–F) demonstrated higher level of VEGF in the serum, BAL fluid and lung tissue that related to the small-airway remodelling, and can be inhibited with sunitinib (**P < 0.01, *P < 0.05, compared to the normal rats), (##P < 0.01, #P < 0.05, compared to the untreated COPD rats).
