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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Jun 1.
Published in final edited form as: Exp Eye Res. 2012 Jun;99:36–44. doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2012.03.015

Figure 6.

Figure 6

Role of ECM stiffness on cell connectivity. (A) Matrix Stiffness was measured using an AR-G2 rheometer with parallel plate geometry. The elastic (storage) modulus of 1 mg/ml fibrin matrix was higher than that of 2 mg/ml collagen matrix, but was similar to that of 4 mg/ml collagen matrix. Pa = Pascals. (B) Collagen matrix concentration did not play a significant role in cell migration. Cell migration number and pattern was similar for all concentrations tested (P=0.153, ANOVA). Results are mean +/− SD based on three separate experiments with duplicate matrices at each matrix condition. (C and D) Collagen and fibrin coated surfaces (which should both have the same high stiffness), also showed the same differences in cell behavior as hydrated matrices. On collagen-coated surfaces, dendritic processes sometimes interconnected in areas of high cell density, but cell clustering was not observed. In contrast cells on fibrin-coated surfaces consistently grouped together and formed clusters.