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Figure 6 Effects of stem cell mobilization on endothelial recovery after BMS and PES stenting. Gross (A) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) findings (B) of stented rabbit iliac artery at 28 days. (First row) Endothelium and neointima were fully formed after BMS. (Third row) Aggravation of neointimal growth by G-CSF–mediated stem cell mobilization was reflected as the decreased transparency of gross finding and the disappearance of stent strut silhouette on SEM. (Second row) In case of PES, the evidences of delayed endothelial healing was observed as hemorrhage around PES struts in gross finding and uncovered stent struts in SEM finding. (Fourth row) After stem cell mobilization with G-CSF, however, endothelial layers were covered with cobblestone-shaped endothelial cells without focal hemorrhage, suggesting the enhanced endothelial recovery even on PES (arrowheads = hemorrhage; arrows = stent struts not covered by endothelium, owing to delayed re-endothelialization). Other abbreviations as in Figure 1.