Figure 3. BMSCs administered i.t. inhibit CCI-induced upregulation of ATF3 in DRGs and reduce CCI-induced downregulation of CGRP and IB4 in DRGs and the spinal cord dorsal horn.
(A) Paradigm showing the timing of BMSC treatment (CCI day 4) and tissue collection (CCI day 8). (B–G) Inhibition of CCI-induced upregulation of ATF3 (B and C) and downregulation of IB4 and CGRP (D and E) in L4–L5 DRGs, as well as downregulation of IB4 and CGRP in the L4–L5 spinal cord dorsal horn (F and G) by i.t. injection of BMSCs (2.5 × 105 cells, 4 days after CCI). Scale bars: 50 μm (B, D, and F). Quantification results of ATF3 staining in DRGs (C), IB4 and CGRP staining in DRGs (E), and IB4 and CGRP staining in dorsal horns (G). *P < 0.05, compared with the sham or contralateral group; #P < 0.05; n = 4–5 mice/group. Statistical significance was determined by 1-way ANOVA, followed by Bonferroni’s post-hoc test. All data are expressed as the mean ± SEM.