Figure 5.
ECM production normalized to DNA content and dry weight, DNA content normalized to weight, and compressive modulus of human chondrocytes embedded in PEG hydrogel at 8×106 (white bars) and 20×106 cells/mL (upward diagonal bars) cultured at standard chondrogenic condition with TGF-β1 only and 8×106 cells/mL cultured with FGF-2/TGF-β1 for the first week and then TGF-β1 after (black bars). A: GAG production normalized to DNA content (μg/μg). B: GAG production normalized to dry weight (μg/mg). C: Soluble collagen type II production normalized to DNA content (μg/μg). D: Soluble collagen type II production normalized to dry weight (μg/g). E: Total DNA content normalized to dry weight (ng/mg). F: Compressive modulus. Asterisks indicate statistical significance between assigned groups (* p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01) (n = 3).
