Fig. 6

NPS-EMSCs protect the myelin sheath and improve regeneration of the spinal cord in rats following SCI. NPS-EMSC treatment significantly inhibits glial scarring and myelin sheath growth from the host spinal cord to the injured site. (a) Horizontal sections subjected to MBP (purple) and GFAP (green) immunofluorescence show the distribution of MBP. Scale bar = 100 μm. Higher magnification in the middle box area shows superimposed images of MBP-, GFAP- and DAPI-marked objects; scale bar = 20 μm(n = 3). (b) Immunofluorescence staining results of Nestin (green) and Tuj-1 (purple) in the SCI area of each experimental group; scale bar = 20 μm. (c) Immunofluorescence staining of Nestin (green) and Tuj-1 (purple) in longitudinal sections from the SCI + NPS-EMSCs group with high magnification in the middle box, showing overlay images of Nestin, Tuj-1, and DAPI-labeled objects; scale bar = 100 μm; 50 μm in the middle box. (d) Immunofluorescence staining of NSCs cultured with NPS-EMSC alone or indirectly, Nestin (green), scale bar = 100 μm. (e) EdU staining of NSCs cultured with NPS-EMSC alone or indirectly; scale bar = 100 μm. (f) NSCs cultured alone and indirectly with NSCs, showing differentiation into neurons with immunostaining for Nestin (green) or Tuj-1 (red); scale bar = 20 μm. (g) Statistical plot of the mean MBP fluorescence intensity. (h) Statistical analysis of the mean fluorescence intensity of Nestin in Tuj-1 cells. (i) Statistical analysis of the mean fluorescence intensity of Tuj-1. (j) EdU staining statistics for NSCs cultured alone and indirectly with NPS-EMSCs. (k) Statistical analysis of NSC proliferation cultured with NPS-EMSCs alone and indirectly. (l) Tuj-1 immunofluorescence statistics for NSCs cultured with NPS-EMSCs alone and indirectly. * P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, ns: no significant difference