Tongxie Yaofang enhances the homing efficiency of exogenous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells to the colonic mucosa and alleviates ulcerative colitis

Figure 4 Tongxie Yaofang promotes bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells migration via the stromal cell-derived factor-1/C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 axis in vitro. A-D: Scratch assay observed at 24 hours (A). Number of migrated cells measured by Transwell assay (B and D). Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells migration rate determined by scratch assay (C); E and F: The mRNA expression levels of stromal cell-derived factor-1 and C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 assessed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction; G-I: Protein expression levels of stromal cell-derived factor-1 and C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 measured by western blot. Data are presented as mean ± SD, n = 3 independent biological replicates. ^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.001, compared with the control group; ^cP < 0.001, compared with the stromal cell-derived factor-1 group; ^dP < 0.001, compared with the Tongxie Yaofang group. CON: Control group; SDF-1: Stromal cell-derived factor-1; TXYF: Tongxie Yaofang; DSS: Dextran sulfate sodium; BMSCs: Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells; CXCR4: C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4.