Table 1.
Primers used in real-time PCR.
Fig 1.
Change in body and bladder weight after transplantation.
A. There was no significant difference in body weight between groups. B. The bladder weight was increased in the group with BOO than in the sham operation group. The group transplanted with hMSCs and HGF-overexpressing hMSCs showed decreased bladder weight than the group with BOO. Sham = sham operation, BOO = bladder outlet obstruction, hMSCs = human mesenchymal stem cells, hMSCs.HGF = HGF overexpressing human mesenchymal stem cells. * p < 0.05.
Fig 2.
The group with BOO showed increased ratio of collagen to collagen + muscle (%) than the group with sham operation and control (*p<0.05). The group with BOO transplanted with hMSCs showed decreased ratio than the group with BOO. The effect was enhanced by HGF overexpression of hMSCs. Sham = sham operation, BOO = bladder outlet obstruction, hMSCs = human mesenchymal stem cells injection, hMSCs.HGF = HGF overexpressing human mesenchymal stem cells injection. *p < 0.05.
Fig 3.
Recovery of cystometric parameters after transplantation.
A. ICI increased after BOO and recovered after transplantation of hMSCs. B. MVP decreased after BOO and recovered after transplantation of hMSCs. C. PT was not altered among groups. D. RU increased after BOO and recovered after transplantation of hMSCs. Sham = sham operation, BOO = bladder outlet obstruction, hMSCs = human mesenchymal stem cells, hMSCs.HGF = HGF overexpressing human mesenchymal stem cells, ICI = intercontraction interval, MVP = maximal voiding pressure, PT = pressure threshold (PT), RU = residual urine volume. * p < 0.05.
Table 2.
Recovery of bladder contractility after transplantation.
Fig 4.
Expression of collagen1 and HGF mRNA.
A. The mRNA expression of collagen1 increased in the group with BOO, which was recovered after transplantation of hMSCs.HGF. B. The mRNA expression of HGF increased in the group transplanted with hMSCs.HGF. C. The mRNA expression of TGF-β1 increased in the group with BOO, which was restored after transplantation of hMSCs.HGF. Sham = sham operation, BOO = bladder outlet obstruction, hMSCs = human mesenchymal stem cells, hMSCs.HGF = HGF overexpressing human mesenchymal stem cells injection. * p < 0.05.
Fig 5.
Immunofluorescent staining with vWF.
Immunofluorescent staining with vWF showed a decrease in the number of vWF-positive cells in the group with BOO and an increase in vWF-positive cells after transplantation of hMSCs. The effect was enhanced by hMSCs.HGF. The merged cells expressing yellow fluorescence represent HNA and vWF-positive cells derived from hMSCs. A-D. Sham operation group. E-H. BOO group. I-L. hMSCs transplantation after BOOp. M-P. hMSCs.HGF transplantation after BOO. DAPI = 4’,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, HNA = human nuclear antigen, vWF = von Willebrandt factor. Sham = sham operation, BOO = bladder outlet obstruction, hMSCs = human mesenchymal stem cells, hMSCs.HGF = HGF overexpressing human mesenchymal stem cells.
Fig 6.
Immunofluorescent staining of bladder tissues.
Staining with Cas3 revealed increased level of Cas3-positive apoptosis in the group with BOO and decreased Cas3-positive apoptosis following transplantation of hMSCs. The effect was enhanced by hMSCs.HGF. A-D. Sham operation group. E-H. BOO group. I-L. transplantation of hMSCs after BOO. M-P. hMSCs.HGF transplantation after BOO. DAPI = 4’,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, HNA = human nuclear antigen, Cas3 = caspase 3. Sham = sham operation, BOO = bladder outlet obstruction, hMSCs = human mesenchymal stem cells, hMSCs.HGF = HGF overexpressing human mesenchymal stem cells.
Fig 7.
Immunofluorescent staining of bladder tissues.
Staining with TUNEL led to increased TUNEL-positive apoptosis in the group of rats with BOO and decreased TUNEL-positive apoptosis after transplantation of hMSCs. The effect was enhanced by hMSCs.HGF. A-C. Sham operation group. D-F. BOO group. G-I. hMSCs transplantation after BOO. J-L. hMSCs.HGF transplantation after BOO. DAPI = 4’,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, TUNEL = deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling, Sham = sham operation, BOO = bladder outlet obstruction, hMSCs = human mesenchymal stem cells, hMSCs.HGF = HGF overexpressing human mesenchymal stem cells.