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. 2020 Oct 20;28(3):1041–1061. doi: 10.1038/s41418-020-00636-4

Fig. 8. Exosomal miR-21 counteracts N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced photoreceptor apoptosis and retinal degeneration.

Fig. 8

Representative hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining images of retinal tissues (A) and the corresponding quantitative analysis of outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness (B). WT-EXOT transplantation of exosomes derived from wild-type mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) after MNU injection, miR-21−/−-EXOT transplantation of exosomes derived from miR-21-deficient MSCs after MNU injection, GCL ganglion cell layer, INL inner nuclear layer, ONH optic nerve head. Scale bars = 50 μm. *P < 0.05 by the Kruskal–Wallis test for area under curve (AUC). N = 3 per group. Representative scotopic electroretinography (ERG) waveforms (C) and the corresponding quantitative analyses of amplitude changes of a-wave (D) and b-wave (E). *P < 0.05 by the Kruskal–Wallis tests. N = 6 per group. Representative photopic ERG waveforms (F) and the corresponding quantitative analysis of b-wave amplitude changes (G). *P < 0.05 by the Kruskal–Wallis tests. N = 6 per group. Representative terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL, green) staining images of retinal tissues counterstained by Hoechst 33342 (blue) (H) and the corresponding quantitative analysis of percentages of TUNEL+ cells over total ONL cells (J). Scale bars = 50 μm. *P < 0.05 by the Kruskal–Wallis test. N = 3 per group. Representative TUNEL (green) staining images of retinal tissues counterstained by Hoechst 33342 (blue) (I) and the corresponding quantitative analysis of percentages of TUNEL+ cells over total ONL cells (K). Ctrl control, NC negative control of miR-21 mimics. MNU-injected mice were transplanted with exosomes derived from miR-21-deficient MSCs, which were transfected with or without NC or miR-21 mimics. Scale bars = 50 μm. *P < 0.05 by the Kruskal–Wallis test. N = 3 per group. Representative H&E staining images of retinal tissues (L) and the corresponding quantitative analysis of ONL thickness (M). Scale bars = 50 μm. *P < 0.05 by the Kruskal–Wallis test for AUC. N = 3 per group. Representative scotopic ERG waveforms (N) and the corresponding quantitative analyses of amplitude changes of a-wave (O) and b-wave (P). *P < 0.05 by the Kruskal–Wallis tests. N = 6 per group. Representative photopic ERG waveforms (Q) and the corresponding quantitative analysis of b-wave amplitude changes (R). *P < 0.05 by the Kruskal–Wallis tests. N = 6 per group. S Diagram showing the synopsis of the findings. Data represent median ± range for (B), (J), (K), and (M). Data are represented as box (25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles) and whisker (range) plots for (D), (E), (G), (O), (P), and (R).