[Retracted] Qing Zao Fang (QZF) Alleviates the Inflammatory Microenvironment of the Submandibular Gland in Sjögren’s Syndrome Based on the PI3K/Akt/HIF-1α/VEGF Signaling Pathway

Figure 1

Effects of QZF on SS rats. (a) The average water intake of rats from 11 weeks aged to 20 weeks aged in control, model, hydroxychloroquine, and three Chinese medicine treatment groups. (b) The diagram of the submandibular gland index of rats. Error bars represent SD, . for change difference versus the SS model. ^## and ^### QZF-treated group versus hydroxychloroquine. (c) HE staining of submandibular glands of rats. Red arrows indicate tissue infiltration. Scale  μm (magnification, ×400). The nucleus of submandibular gland tissue cells was stained blue by hematoxylin, while the cytoplasm was stained red by eosin. (d) Detection of cell apoptosis in the submandibular gland tissue of rats by TUNEL assay (scale  μm, magnification, ×400). The brown color represented the TUNEL-positive cells and blue, the nucleus pulposus. (e, f) Immunohistochemical detection of IL-6 and IL-10 expression in the submandibular gland tissue. Scale  μm (magnification, ×400). The positive immunostaining was colored in brown.

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