Fig. 4. Single injection of human mesenchymal stem cells reduced airway hyperresponsiveness and airway inflammation. (A) Schematic diagram of the mouse model of acute asthma and treatment with hADSCs or hBMSCs. Mice were sensitized on days 0 and 7 by subcutaneous injection of OVA and challenged intranasally on days 21, 23, and 25 (black dots). Aliquots of 2.5 × 10⁷/kg hADSCs or hBMSCs were injected via the tail vein on day 27 (blue triangles). Samples were harvested on day 29. (B) Rrs was used to measure airway hyperresponsiveness with increasing concentration of nebulized methacholine. ^*P < 0.05, ^**P < 0.01, ^***P < 0.001 compared to the CON group; ^#P < 0.05, ^##P < 0.01, ^###P < 0.001 compared to the OVA+PBS group. (C) BAL cells were isolated by centrifugation and stained with Diff-Quik. Total numbers of macrophages, eosinophils, lymphocytes, and neutrophils in the BAL fluid were counted. ^*P < 0.05, ^**P < 0.01, ^***P < 0.001 compared to the CON group; ^#P < 0.05, ^##P < 0.01, ^###P < 0.001 compared to the OBA+PBS group.

hADSC = human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell, hBMSC = human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell, OVA = ovalbumin, Alum = aluminum, Rrs = airway resistance, CON = control, PBS = phosphate buffered saline, BAL = bronchoalveolar lavage, S.c= subcutaneous, I.n.= intranasal.