L-arginine from elder human mesenchymal stem cells induces angiogenesis and enhances therapeutic effects on ischemic heart diseases

Figure 8 Cell apoptosis and vascular density. A: Terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining of apoptotic cells in all groups; B: Apoptotic cell number (TUNEL+) was significantly lower in border region in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell-arginine succinate lyase (BMSC-ASL) overexpressed and adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cell (ADSC) groups compared to both the BMSC and BMSC-ASL short hairpin RNA groups after MSC transplantation (n = 6); C: Representative images for anti-α-smooth muscle actin (red); D: Vascular density was significantly higher in the BMSC-ASL overexpressed and ADSC groups than in the BMSCs and BMSC-ASL short hairpin RNA groups. Vascular density in the BMSCs group was higher than in the BMSC-ASL short hairpin RNA group (n = 6). ^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01. ASL: Arginine succinate lyase; shRNA: Short hairpin RNA; BMSCs: Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells; ADSCs: Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cell; NC: Negative control; TUNEL: Terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling; DAPI: 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole; SMA: Smooth muscle actin.