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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2008 Feb 20.
Published in final edited form as: J Dent Res. 2006 Nov;85(11):1050–1055. doi: 10.1177/154405910608501115

Figure 4.

Figure 4

Proliferation of fibroblasts and change of collagen matrix in three-dimensional cultures. The three-dimensional collagen matrix containing normal control fibroblasts or HGF fibroblasts was prepared at 2 different densities (low, 15,000 cells/mL; and high, 20,000 cells/mL). (A) After 2 days, fibroblasts were released from 1 set of three-dimensional cultures as described in MATERIALS & METHODS. Total cell numbers were determined, and data are presented as mean ± standard deviations from triplicate samples for controls (N = 3) and HGF patients (N = 3); * indicates P < 0.05. Another set of three-dimensional cultures (20,000 cells/mL), maintained in regular growth medium for an additional 3 days, was stained with Diff-quik to show cells (B,C). The three-dimensional cultures were fixed and stained with picro-sirius red to show collagen. Panels D and F demonstrate the ordered spreading (D) and density (F) from control cells. Irregularly clumped deposition (E) and increased collagen density (G) were observed from HGF cells in three-dimensional culture. Panels D and E are low-magnification (100X) images; panels F and G are high-magnification (960X) images. Bar is 50 μm in D and E, 10 μm in F and G.