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Fig. 2 | Military Medical Research

Fig. 2

From: Pericytes protect rats and mice from sepsis-induced injuries by maintaining vascular reactivity and barrier function: implication of miRNAs and microvesicles

Fig. 2

The transplanted pericytes improve the vascular hyporeactivity and leakage after sepsis. a Effects of transplanting different amount of exogenous pericytes on animal survival (n = 16 rats). Intravital microscopy (b, red arrows indicate GFP-PC) and immunofluorescence (c) by CLSM were used to monitor the GFP-PC location on mesenteric venules at 24 h after transplantation of exogenous pericytes (106). Scale bars: 50 μm. d Mesenteric microvascular networks were stained for NG-2, PDGFR-β, and CD31 at 24 h after resuscitation (n = 8 rats). Scale bars: 100 μm. e Changes in vascular response of mesenteric arterioles to NE and Ach in vivo after sepsis in rats (n = 8). f Vascular leakage of mesenteric venules measured by the appearance of intravenously injected FITC–BSA and quantitation of FITC–BSA+ vessel (n = 8 rats). Scale bars: 50 μm. g Immunohistochemistry for ZO-1 and VE-cadherin in mesenteric venules. Scale bars: 20 μm. h Representative TEM images of tight junctions in mesenteric venules (green arrows indicate the tight junction, *indicate the erythrocyte diapedesis). Scale bars: 1 μm. NG-2 nerve/glial antigen 2, PDGFR-β platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta, CT conventional treatment, CLSM confocal laser scanning microscopy, PC pericyte, Poly(I:C)PC polyinosine-polycytidylic acid pre-treatment pericyte, NE norepinephrine, Ach acetylcholine, MA mesenteric arteriole, ZO-1 zonula occludens-1, VE-cadherin vascular endothelial cadherin, VEC vascular endothelial cell, RBC red blood cell, TJ tight junction, L lumen, TEM transmission electron microscopy. Data shown as mean ± SD. **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001 vs. Sham; ##P < 0.01, ###P < 0.001 vs. Sepsis; &&P < 0.01, &&&P < 0.001 vs. Sepsis + CT (one-way ANOVA)

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