Heat shock pretreatment improves stem cell repair following ischemia-reperfusion injury via autophagy

Figure 1 Heat shock pretreatment protected mesenchymal stem cells from apoptosis induced by H₂O₂. Apoptosis was analyzed using flow cytometry (A) and Western blot (B). The apoptotic rate and pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and cytochrome C were reduced, while the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 was increased in the HSP_1h and HSP_2h group, particularly in the HSP_2h group (P < 0.01). However, the apoptotic rate, and both Bax and cytochrome C were increased, while Bcl-2 was reduced in the HSP_3h group. The data represent the results of three separate experiments. ^bP < 0.01 compared with the normal control group; ^cP < 0.05, ^dP < 0.01 compared with the H₂O₂ group. HSP: Heat shock pretreatment.