Figure 5.

Acidic preconditioning enhances ckit⁺ cell therapeutic potential in a mouse model of hindlimb ischaemia. ckit⁺ cells were exposed to acidic preconditioning, then 5 × 10⁵ cells were injected into the mouse adductor muscle at the time of femoral artery dissection. Control mice were injected with C cells or saline. (A) Hindlimb blood flow evaluated by LDPI (n = 8 at each time point). The progressive increase in blood flow was accelerated in acidic preconditioning cells-treated vs. C cells and saline-treated mice. (B) Acidic preconditioning cells increased capillary number vs. C cells or saline, at the 7- and 14-day time points (n = 6; calibration bar = 20 µm). (C) Acidic preconditioning cells increased arteriole number at the 14-day time point (n = 6). Arterioles stained with α-smooth muscle actin antibody; calibration bar = 30 µm. (D) Acidic preconditioning cells increased regenerating fibres at the 7-day time point (n = 6; calibration bar = 50 µm). For all assays performed, average positive cell number is shown in the left panel and representative images in the right. Statistical significance: *P < 0.05 for acidic preconditioning cells vs. C cells or saline.