Figure 3.

uEVs Stimulate Tubular Proliferation and Reduce Levels of Renal Injury and Inflammatory Markers

(A) Representative micrographs showing PCNA (Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen)-positive cells in kidney tissues from AKI mice injected with saline (vehicle), uEVs, uEVs float, and MSC EVs at day 3 after damage. Original magnification ×200. (B) Quantification of PCNA-positive cells in AKI mice treated with saline (vehicle) and EVs at day 3 after damage. Data are expressed as the mean ± SEM of the count of 10 fields/section (n = 8 mice for each group). ANOVA with Dunnett’s multicomparison test was performed: *p < 0.05, **p < 0.001 versus vehicle. (C) Histograms showing mRNA expression represented by relative quantification (RQ) of NGAL, PAI, SOX9, and caspase-3 in healthy and AKI mice, treated with saline (vehicle), uEVs, and MSC EVs, at day 3 after damage. Data are normalized to GAPDH and to 1 for vehicle, and are expressed as the mean ± SEM of healthy (n = 3), vehicle, and EVs (n = 7/group). One-way ANOVA was performed: *p < 0.05 and **p < 0.001 versus vehicle. (D) Histograms showing the mRNA expression represented by relative quantification (RQ) of inflammatory markers TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and NF-κB in healthy and AKI mice, treated with saline (vehicle), uEVs, and MSC EVs, at day 3 after damage. Data are normalized to GAPDH and to 1 for vehicle, and are expressed as the mean ± SEM of healthy (n = 3), vehicle, and EVs (n = 7/group). One-way ANOVA was performed: *p < 0.05 and **p < 0.001 versus vehicle.