New Role of Adult Lung c-kit⁺ Cells in a Mouse Model of Airway Hyperresponsiveness

Figure 3

c-kit⁺ cells positively interfere with the remodeling of asthmatic airways. (a–c) Proliferating (Ki67, green, arrows) epithelial cells (pan-cytokeratin, CK, red) in vehicle- (a) and c-kit⁺ cell-treated (b) animals. (c) The fraction of Ki67⁺ epithelial cells. (d-e) Cycling (Ki67, green, arrows) SMCs (α-SMA, red) in the airway wall of vehicle- (d) and c-kit⁺ cell-treated (e) mice. (f) The fraction of Ki67⁺ SMCs. (g-h) Mucin-positive goblet cells (green, arrows) in epithelium of vehicle- (g) and c-kit⁺ cell-treated (h) asthmatic mice. (i) The percentage of epithelial cells expressing mucin. Data in control, OVA, and OVA+cCs mice are the mean ± SD. Scale bars, (a, b, d, e) 20 μm and (g, h) 10 μm. versus control; versus OVA. SMCs: smooth muscle cells; α-SMA: α-smooth muscle actin.

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