Fig. 5

Evaluation of inflammatory responses in I/R-injured skin flaps after PRP treatment. The mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including (A) TNF-α, (B) IL-6, (C) MCP-1, as well as the anti-inflammatory cytokine (D) IL-10 were measured by qRT-PCR. Error bars represent the means ± SD (n = 4). Student’s t-test for comparison between two groups, and one-way ANOVA followed by the Tukey–Kramer post hoc test for comparison among multiple groups were used. *p < 0.05 vs. the corresponding PBS control, ^&p < 0.05 vs. the value in pre-PRP group after I/R insult, ^#p < 0.05 vs. the value in mid-PRP group after I/R insult. (E–L) The inflammatory infiltration (indicated by blue arrows) in different treatment groups was observed by H&E. Scar bar = 20 μm. In each bargraph, the white bars from left to right represented treatment with PBS without I/R insult, before I/R insult, before reperfusion, or after reperfusion, respectively; the slash bar represented treatment with PRP without I/R insult; the black bar represented treatment with PRP before I/R insult; the dark grey bar represented treatment with PRP before reperfusion; the light grey bar represented treatment with PRP after reperfusion