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Figure 3 | Arthritis Research & Therapy

Figure 3

From: Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells from the sand rat: transforming growth factor beta and 3D co-culture with human disc cells stimulate proteoglycan and collagen type I rich extracellular matrix

Figure 3

Effect of transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) in culture. (a) Monolayer culture. Cells show typical fibroblast-like morphology in control culture × 180. (b) Monolayer culture. In the presence of TGFβ, morphology changes to a more rounded phenotype × 155. (c) 3D culture. In the absence of TGFβ, extracellular matrix contains modest amounts of proteoglycans (indicated by pink staining with toluidine blue) × 400. (d) 3D culture. Cells produce abundant proteoglycan when cultured with TGFβ × 400. (e) Quantitative analysis of proteoglycan shows significantly greater formation in the presence of TGFβ. * p < 0.05.

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