Injectable hydrogel made from antler mesenchyme matrix for regenerative wound healing via creating a fetal-like niche

Figure 4 Effects of hydrogels from the antler reserve mesenchyme on the expression of typical genes related to fetal wound healing in healed skin of rat wounds. A: IL 10 and TGFβ3 immunofluorescence staining; B and C: Expression percentages of IL-10 and TGFβ3; D-I: mRNA expression levels of collagen III (D), collagen I (E), TGFβ3 (G), and TGFβ1 (H) via quantitative real time PCR assay; the ratios of collagen III/collagen I and TGFβ3/TGFβ1 (F and I); J and K: Protein expression of Engrailed 1 in the healed skin via Western blot assay. Note that hydrogels from the antler reserve mesenchyme up-regulated the expression levels of IL10, TGFβ3, and collagen III; but down-regulated the expression levels of collagen I, TGFβ1, and Engrailed 1. IL 10: Interleukin 10; TGFβ1: Transforming growth factor β1; TGFβ3: Transforming growth factor β3; DPW: Days post-wounding; HARM: Hydrogels derived from antler reserve mesenchyme; N-CTRL: Negative control; P-CTRL: Positive control. n = 3; mean ± SEM; statistical significance set at ^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01, ^cP < 0.001.