GTCs protect kidney from AKI through HO-1 upregulation. BUN and creatinine (A) levels in the blood of mice injected with GTCs are significantly lower than those in mice injected with PBS. GTC-injected mice show a reduction of cortical damage (B), as shown by periodic acid–Schiff staining (original magnification, ×200) compared with PBS-injected mice. GTC-treated mice also show a lower incidence of tubular necrosis (C) than PBS-injected mice; the left chart indicates incidence of CAST formation, and the right chart represents the total number of necrotic tubules (tubules undergoing necrosis plus CAST). HO-1 is upregulated in GTC-treated mice compared with PBS-injected mice (D), and apoptotic ratio is decreased (E) (original magnification: HO-1, ×100; TUNEL staining, ×630). The lower panel represents the quantification of HO-1+ (F) tubules and apoptotic cells (G). Data are presented as mean ± SEM. (GTC-injected mice, n=8; PBS-injected mice, n=8.)