Figure 5.

Telocytes exhibit a consistent proximity to the proliferative cell zone during recovery. (A) Immunofluorescence staining of Ki67 (white), FOXL1 (red), PDGFRα (green), and DAPI (blue) on recovered mouse stomach tissue following DMP-777 treatment. The injury-induced changes, including the expansion of the proliferative zone and telocyte distribution, were restored after a 14-day recovery period, with FOXL1+/PDGFRα+ double-positive telocytes reverting to their normal position at the isthmus. Scale bar: 100 μm and 50 μm for enlarged. (B) Quantification of telocyte count. The number of FOXL1+/PDGFRα+/DAPI+ telocyte was increased in DMP-777-treated stomachs. Postrecovery, the telocyte count regressed and was not significantly different from that in untreated stomach. Data presented as mean ± standard deviation (n = 3, except for Recovery 14 days, n = 5). n.s., not statistically significant; ∗∗P < .01. Dunnett multiple comparisons test; 1-way analysis of variance (F (2, 8) = 13.54; P = .0027). (C) Quantification of telocyte distribution within the gland. Telocyte distribution is illustrated in distribution histograms, where the y-axis represents the relative height within the corpus gland, divided into 10% increments (1 = top and 0 = base), and the x-axis represents the percentage of telocytes in each region. DMP-777 treatment altered telocyte distribution, increasing their presence in the mid and base regions. Postrecovery, telocyte distribution returned to a pattern similar to that observed in untreated stomachs, predominantly at the top of the gland. Data presented as mean ± standard deviation (n = 3, except for Recovery 14 days, n = 5). ∗P < .05; ∗∗P < .01; ∗∗∗P < .001; ∗∗∗∗P < .0001. Dunnett multiple comparisons test; 2-way analysis of variance for interaction (F (18, 72) = 10.52; P < .0001).