Figure 1

Neocartilage morphology and histology. (A) A flat disc-shaped construct was observed in control, hydrostatic pressure (HP) and chondroitinase ABC (C-ABC) treatments. The addition of transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1) resulted in a bowl-shaped construct. (B) Histological staining demonstrated the presence of collagen (picrosirius red) and glycosaminoglycans (Safranin-O/fast-green) in all groups. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated the presence of type II collagen, and the absence of type I collagen, independent of the treatment regimen. Immunohistochemical staining for superficial zone protein (SZP) demonstrated its presence in the superficial zone of articular cartilage, and its absence in costal cartilage. Engineered neocartilage demonstrated the presence of SZP independent of treatment regimen. Morphology scale bar = 5 mm, histology scale bar = 100 μm.