Upregulation of PDGF Mediates Robust Liver Regeneration after Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field Ablation by Promoting the HGF/c-Met Pathway

Figure 5

Upregulation of PDGF at the periablational area induced liver regeneration after nsPEF ablation through recruitment of activated HSCs. (a) α-Smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) staining (original magnification, ×40 and ×200) shows the distribution of activated myofibroblasts (activated HSCs) at the border zone at 3 days after nsPEF ablation. (b) Sirius red staining (original magnification, ×200) shows collagen deposition at the border zone at 3 days after nsPEF ablation. (c, d) Representative images of IHC staining for two key molecules for recruitment and activation of HSCs, MCP-1 and PDGF within the periablational area in 3 days after ablation (original magnification, ×40 and ×200). (e–i) A PDGF neutralization IgG antibody (NA) or an isotype IgG antibody (control) were injected into the portal vein of mice in one day pre- and postablation, respectively. Three days after nsPEF ablation, liver tissues from both ablated and unablated lobes were harvested for examining PDGF expression by IHC staining for PDGF, activated HSCs by IHC staining for α-SMA, and liver regeneration by IHC staining for Ki67. Representative images of IHC staining for PDGF, α-SMA, and Ki67 (magnification, ×200) (e) and quantification of α-SMA- (f) or Ki67- (g) positive staining cells within 5 random fields of ×100 microscopy. The amount of HGF was detected within liver tissues (h) and serum (i) by ELISA. Data were presented as (, , and ).

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