Figure 3.

Homing, survival, differentiation and therapeutic effect of intravenously injected iPSC in paraquat-injured lungs. (A) Representative fluorescence images of lungs harvested 1, 3, 7, or 28 days after paraquat injection along with PBS or iPSC administration. iPSCs were labeled with the red fluorescent dye PKH26 before injection. The slides were counterstained with DAPI. (B) The relationship between iPSC number and abundance of PCR product from the Tet-on gene, which was embedded in the mouse iPSCs (left half), and abundance of PCR product from the Tet-on gene isolated from paraquat-injured lungs of syngeneic iPSC-treated mice 1, 3, 7, 28, or 90 days after treatment (right half). The image was captured with the best exposure for showing the relationship between iPSC number and abundance of PCR product. (C) Statistical results of iPSC number in paraquat-induced lungs based on abundance of PCR product from the Tet-on gene. n =3 per time point. Data are represented as the mean ± SEM. (D) Abundance of PCR product from the Tet-on gene isolated from heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney of paraquat-injected mice receiving syngeneic iPSCs 3 and 28 days before sample harvesting. (E) Detectable rate of Tet-on gene in major organs shown in paraquat-injected mice receiving syngeneic iPSCs. (F) Co-localization of injected cells and type 2 pneumocytes. Red: injected cells. Green: type 2 pneumocytes. Yellow: red and green fluorescence signals co-localized. (G) Intravenously injected syngeneic iPSCs improved pulmonary function of paraquat-injured lungs as shown by inspiratory and expiratory resistances and dynamic pulmonary compliance.