Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 improves liver fibrosis in mice by regulating autophagy of hepatic stellate cells

Figure 5 Effect of rAAV-Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 administration on hepatic stellate cell autophagy in mouse liver tissues. A: Effect of rAAV-ACE2 administration on hepatic stellate cell autophagosome formation in CCl₄-induced fibrotic mice was observed by Transmission electron microscopy (magnification × 7000). As shown, red arrows indicated autophagosomes; B: The number of autophagosomes in each group was quantified. ^aP < 0.01 vs Control; ^bP < 0.05 vs CCl₄; ^cP < 0.01 vs rAAV-ACE2 + CCl₄; C: Effect of rAAV-ACE2 administration on the expression of autophagy protein LC3. Multicolor immunofluorescence staining for ACE2 (green), autophagic LC3 (Purplish red), desmin (pink), nuclear DAPI (blue), and merged signals in mouse liver tissues (magnification × 400); D: The number of LC3 positive cells in each group was analyzed using Image-Pro Plus 6.0 software. ^aP < 0.001 vs Control; ^bP < 0.01 vs CCl₄; ^cP < 0.05 vs rAAV-ACE2 + CCl₄. Rapa: Rapamycin; DAPI: 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole; ACE2: Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2.