Targeted migration of mesenchymal stem cells modified with CXCR4 to acute failing liver improves liver regeneration

Figure 1 Chemokine CXC receptor 4 expression in genetically modified mesenchymal stem cells. A: Schematic representation of the lentiviral vector constructs; B: Fluorescence microscopy of green fluorescence protein (GFP)/Null-mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and GFP/chemokine CXC receptor 4 (CXCR4)-MSCs. Most MSCs were uniformly transfected with GFP gene (arrows). Scale bar = 20 μm; C: CXCR4 gene relative expression by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction; D: CXCR4 expression on the membrane was determined by Western blotting using MSC membrane extraction. CXCR4: CXCR4/GFP group; Null: null/GFP group; E: Flow cytometry analysis of CXCR4 expression in Null-MSCs (left) and CXCR4-MSCs (right). Horizontal bar of each label in panel represents subpopulation of MSCs. LTR: Long terminal repeat. ^aP < 0.05 vs Null group, data are shown as mean ± SD.