Fig. 3.

Mg implants promote early inflammation and angiogenesis but not fibrosis in tissues.

(A), Wounded tissues retrieved after 1–28 d for histology/histomorphometry (n = 5–6/group/time-point; line: section orientation) and qPCR analysis (n = 5–8/group/time-point). (B), Gross healing at re-entry of implanted and sham wounds (line). (C), Unwounded tissue histology featuring subcutaneous fascia underneath dorsal muscle [left: toluidine blue (TB) staining, arrows: mast cells; right: hematoxylin and eosin staining with autofluorescence micrograph, red: cells, green: extracellular matrix and vessels]. (D), TB-stained sections of 14 d-implants with subcutaneous fascia and muscle (line-separated). Asterisk: gas void. (E), Autofluorescence micrographs of 1–28 d-interfacial tissues (white) showing: hematoxylin-detected cells, blood vessels (yellow), and fibrous capsule (FC; blue). Asterisk: 3 d-gas voids in tissues interfacing with Mg implant (F), Cellular density in fascia (unwounded tissues: n = 6). (G), Tissue gene expression after 1–6 d (log2 relative gene expression ratio Mg/Ti). (H), Micrographs of 6–28 d-fibrous capsule (FC). (I-M), Capsule histomorphometry: thickness (I), cellular density (J), and vessel density and distance to implant-interface (L); mast cell density in fascia (K); Gas void number and relative area in Mg-implanted tissues (M).

Data are means ± s.e.m.; *P < 0.05 Mg versus Ti or Sham Mg versus Sham Ti; #P < 0.05 Mg or Ti versus respective sham; a: P < 0.05 versus day 6; b: P < 0.05 versus day 14; c: P < 0.05 versus days 1 and 6; d: P < 0.05 versus day 3 (area). Unpaired Mann-Whitney U test or paired Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Scale B = 4 mm; C: gray = 500 μm; black = 10 μm; D = 200 μm; E, H = 50 μm.