Microvesicles derived from mesenchymal stem cells inhibit acute respiratory distress syndrome-related pulmonary fibrosis in mouse partly through hepatocyte growth factor

Figure 4 Effects of mesenchymal stromal cell-derived microvesicles on acute respiratory distress syndrome-related pulmonary fibrosis and lung injury. A: Immunohistochemical images of pathological sections of lung tissues from each group; B: α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) protein expression; C: Type I collagen protein expression; D: Type III collagen protein expression; E: Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) protein expression. ^aP < 0.05, vs the control group; ^bP < 0.05 vs the pulmonary fibrosis group; ^cP < 0.05 vs the mesenchymal stromal cell-derived microvesicles (MSC-MVs) group (n = 6). Control, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pulmonary fibrosis, MSC, MSC-MVs and low hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-MSC-MVs represent the control group, ARDS group, pulmonary fibrosis group, MSC group, MSC-MVs group and low HGF-MSC-MVs group, respectively.