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

Table 3 Immunohistochemical characterisation of extracellular matrix (ECM) formed by adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSC) in 3D culture for two to five weeks^a

ECM protein	Mean histological grading score Mean of four experiments +/- standard deviation
	- TGFβ	+ TGFβ
Keratin sulphate^b	1.5 ± 0.58	2.5 ± 0.58
Chondroitin sulphate	2.5 ± 0.58	3.0 ± 0.00
Collagen^b type I	2.4 ± 0.42	3.0 ± 0.00
Collagen type II	2.4 ± 0.42	2.6 ± 0.42
Decorin^b	1.5 ± 0.58	2.3 ± 0.50

^aScoring scale: 1 = very slight localization; 2 = modest localisation; 3 = abundant localisation. ^bTranforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) treated cells gave a significantly higher score compared with untreated cells (p < 0.05).

ISSN: 1478-6362