Fig. 3
The autophagy level was up-regulated in OA rats treated with MSCsSC-Exos. A RNA-Seq analysis was conducted in total cartilage mRNA of OA rats, which was extracted from control group (PBS-treated, n = 2) and MSCsSC-Exos group (ExosSC-treated, n = 2). Volcanic map of different expression genes (DEGs) between control group and ExosSC group. Red spots represent up-regulated genes and blue spots represent down-regulated genes. B KEGG enrichment for control group and ExosSC group. C GSEA enrichment analysis of control group and ExosSC group. D The immunofluorescence analysis of LC3B in articular cartilage of OA rat model. n = 6 for each group. scale bar: 100 μm. E Representative image of DiO-labelled ExosSC absorbed by rat chondrocytes. Scale bar: 20 μm. F and G The immunofluorescence analysis of COL2A1 and MMP-13 in chondrocytes of OA model. n = 4 for each group. Scale bar: 10 μm. H Rat chondrocytes were infected with RFP-GFP-LC3 adenovirus and effects of ExosSC on RFP-GFP- LC3 puncta. The numbers of RFP- and GFP-LC3 dots per cell were counted. n = 4 for each group. Scale bar: 10 μm. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001, **** p < 0.001, ns not significant