Figure 9.

Cell roundness index on ePTFE as determined immediately following various thermal exposures. Cells were cultured on collagen-coated ePTFE at 37°C for a day, and then exposed to 43° and 45°C (A) or 47° and 50°C (B) for various durations. Next, they were immediately stained with calcein AM (which labels the cytosol of viable cells, appearing green) and ethidium homodimer-1 (which labels the nuclei of dead cells, appearing red), and the roundness index (in the range of 0 and 1) of viable cells was measured and reported as averaged ‘roundness index’ per cell. A perfectly round cell corresponds to an index of 1. Index increased with temperature and exposure duration. N = 3–5. Error bars represent SEM. *P < 0.05 compared to 37°C with the same exposure duration. ⁺P < 0.05 compared to the same temperature at the minimum exposure duration.