FIG. 4.

Effect of DSCM pretreatment on expanded hSDSC chondrogenic differentiation with either 0.05 or 0.1 mM H₂O₂. (A) hSDSCs expanded on either DSCM or Plastic with H₂O₂ treatment were chondrogenically induced in a pellet culture system for 21 days and treated with H₂O₂ for the following 7 days. AB was used to stain sulfated GAGs. IHC staining was used to detect Col II. Scale bar is 1 mm. (B) Biochemical analysis was used for DNA and GAG contents in the 28-day chondrogenically induced pellets. Cell proliferation and viability were evaluated using DNA ratio (DNA content at day 28 adjusted by that at day 0). Chondrogenic index at day 28 was evaluated using ratio of GAG to DNA. (C) Real-time PCR was used to evaluate chondrogenic marker gene expression (SOX9, ACAN, and COL2A1) in day-28 pellets. Data are shown as average±SD for n=4. **P<0.01, and ***P<0.001 compared with the corresponding DSCM group. ^#P<0.05, and ^###P<0.001 compared with the corresponding group without H₂O₂ treatment. ^$P<0.05 and ^$$$P<0.001 compared with the corresponding group treated with 0.05 mM H₂O₂. Color images available online at www.liebertpub.com/scd