Fig. 5. Treatment with Pkd1-null cell EVs/exosomes increased fibrosis in Pkd1^RC/RC kidneys and induced the activation of NRK-49F cells.

a Picrosirius red staining revealed that renal fibrosis was increased in kidneys of Pkd1^RC/RC mice treated with cystic cell EVs/exosomes compared to that in kidneys of Pkd1^RC/RC mice treated with PBS. Scale bars, 50 μm. b Western blot analysis of fibronectin, collagen 1, and α-SMA, expression in kidneys from Pkd1^RC/RC mice treated with cystic cell EVs/exosomes or PBS. c qRT-PCR analysis of fibronectin, collagen 1, α-SMA and TGF-β mRNA expression in kidneys from Pkd1^RC/RC mice treated with cystic cell EVs/exosomes or PBS. All data were analyzed from three experiments. d Immunostaining of fibronectin, collagen 1, and α-SMA expression in kidneys from Pkd1^RC/RC mice treated with cystic cell EVs/exosomes or PBS. e Western blot analysis of fibronectin, α-SMA and PCNA expression from whole-cell lysates of rat kidney fibroblasts (NRK-49F) treated with or without cystic cell EVs/exosomes. f qRT-PCR analysis of fibronectin, α-SMA and TGF-β mRNA expression from whole cell lysates of rat kidney fibroblasts (NRK-49F) treated with or without cystic cell EVs/exosomes. All data were analyzed from three experiments. Immunostaining of fibronectin (g), Ki67, and α-SMA (h) in NRK-49F cells treated with cystic cell EVs/exosomes or PBS. All statistical data are represented as mean ± SEM, and p-values are calculated by unpaired Student’s t-test.