Figure 8.

Dermal architecture of late granulation tissue in IL-10^−/− and control mice. A–D: Masson trichrome staining of day 14 wounds. In IL-10^−/− mice, the basket-weave organization of collagen bundles is primarily absent and replaced by thick and densely packed parallel layers of collagen; in IL-10^−/− mice the dermo-epidermal junction is flat, whereas in control mice rete ridges are present. E and F: Sirius Red staining and examination with polarized light revealed advanced organization and maturation of collagen bundles in day 14 wounds of IL-10^−/− mice when compared with controls. G: In day 10 wounds, collagen content is significantly increased in IL-10^−/− mice (n = 4 wounds) when compared with control mice (n = 5 wounds); each point represents the collagen content in tissue derived from one wound; horizontal bars represent the means of collagen content within each group of mice (*P < 0.024). NS, collagen content in nonwounded skin; e, epidermis; d, dermis. Scale bars = 100 μm.