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. 2018 May 17;6(2):199–213. doi: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2018.05.003

Figure 9.

Figure 9

Local NGF therapy of GUs in aging rats increases NGF expression. (A) Dual immunostaining for NGF (red) and VEGF (green) in gastric mucosa of aging rats after local treatment with PBS (control) or NGF (100 μg/kg body weight) 3 weeks after GU induction. In PBS-treated control aging rats, VEGF was expressed modestly in ECs lining the mucosal vessels, and NGF and VEGF were expressed weakly in the GU granulation tissue. In aging rats treated with NGF, expression of NGF was increased significantly in GU granulation tissue and ECs by 1.6-fold (P < .001) vs PBS treatment. Some of the ECs lining mucosal vessels (asterisk) expressed both NGF and VEGF (yellow staining). Local NGF treatment of GUs in aging rats increased NGF expression in ECs lining the mucosal vessels. (B) Locally injected FITC-labeled NGF incorporated into the GU base and was present (retained) at 3 weeks in ECs lining submucosal blood vessels (asterisk), and mucosal microvessels (arrows) of GU scars in aging rats. Rats injected with PBS showed low-level background autofluorescence in the GU scar (negative control). Scale bars: 100 μm.