FIG. 3.

HFCs demonstrated adipogenic and chondrogenic differentiation potential. HFCs were cultured in the adipogenic (A–D) or chondrogenic (E–G) differentiation medium for 2 weeks. (A) reverse-transcription (RT)-PCR for adipogenic markers aP2 and PPARγ. Oil Red O staining of HFCs that were treated with the adipogenic (B) or control (C) medium. (D) Higher magnification of (B). (E) RT-PCR for chondrogenic markers Sox9 and Col II. Type II collagen immunostaining of HFC pellets cultured with chondrogenic (F) or control (G) medium. Cells stained with secondary antibody only served as negative control. All samples were counterstained with 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI): to observe cell nuclei. Representative images are shown from one out of three independent experiments. PCR, polymerase chain reaction; GAPDH, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Color images available online at www.liebertonline.com/ten.