Figure 3. PGI₂-hMSC treatment led to host regeneration and muscle mass gain.

(a) Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain showed regenerating myofibers with centralized nuclei (black arrows) next to microvessels (white arrows) containing red blood cells (blue arrows) at day 14 in mice treated with 3.1-hMSCs+ILO or PGI₂-hMSCs. (b) Muscle mass relative to body weight. Both 3.1-hMSCs+ILO- and PGI₂-hMSC-treated mice had significant muscle mass gain in the gastrocnemius muscle in ischaemic hindlimbs as compared with the three other treatments after 1 month. **P<0.01, 3.1-hMSCs+ILO versus ILO, versus 3.1-hMSCs or versus PBS; *P<0.05, PGI₂-hMSCs versus ILO, versus 3.1-hMSCs or versus PBS by a one-way ANOVA with Newman–Keuls post hoc test. Data are shown as mean±s.e.m. N=9 mice/PBS; N=5 mice/ILO; N=10 mice/3.1-hMSCs; N=10 mice/3.1-hMSCs+ILO; N=10 mice/PGI₂-hMSCs. Both male and female mice were used. Scale bar, 20  μm.