Figure 6.

Cell therapy using human iPSC (hiPSC)-derived renal progenitors for the mouse acute kidney (AKI) injury models. (A): The time course analyses of the BUN and plasma Cre levels in the I/R AKI mice that received the renal subcapsular transplantation of hiPSC-derived renal progenitors (n = 6; iPSC-RPs, triangle), undifferentiated hiPSCs (n = 7; iPSCs, square), or saline (n = 11; circle). Statistical significance at the p < .05 level after multiple testing adjustment: ∗∗∗, p < .001 versus saline; ††, p < .01 versus iPSCs; †††, p < .001 versus iPSCs. Least square mean and 95% confidence intervals were estimated according to the mixed effects model for repeated measures. (B): Sections of representative kidney samples from the host mice that received transplantation of iPSC-RPs, iPSCs, or saline were stained with HE, PAS, or MT on day 12 after I/R and transplantation. Representative findings of tubular necrosis, urinary casts, tubular dilatation, loss of tubular borders, and interstitial fibrosis in each treatment group are shown. The arrows indicate the representative area of each finding. Scale bars = 20 μm. (C): Histological scoring of the areas with tubular necrosis, urinary casts, tubular dilatation, loss of tubular borders and interstitial fibrosis and total scores in the host kidneys on day 12 after I/R and transplantation (n = 5 for iPSC-RPs, n = 7 for iPSCs, n = 7 for saline). ∗, p < .05 versus saline; †, p < .05 versus iPSCs. The data are presented as the mean ± SEM in (A) and (C). Abbreviations: BUN, blood urea nitrogen; Cre, creatinine; HE, hematoxylin and eosin; I/R, ischemia/reperfusion; iPSC, induced pluripotent stem cell; iPSC-RP, OSR1⁺SIX2⁺ renal progenitor cells; MT, Masson’s trichrome; PAS, periodic acid-Schiff.