Fig.1.

Morphological alterations of BNC explants in different groups at the end of experiment hematoxylin and eosin staining. (A) In control group, most chondrocytes preserved their ordinary shape; (B) in the presence of IL-1α, flattened fibroblast-like morphology chondrocytes with pyknotic nuclei were observed and ECM degradation was also prominent; (C) in the presence of IL-1α + IL-4, chondrocytes preserved their basic phenotype in an isogenic group; (D) in the presence of IL-1α + prednisolone (1 nM), prominent chondrocyte morphology changes were observed; (E) in IL-1α + prednisolone (1,000 nM)-treated group, a number of chondrocytes were in normal phenotype and a number of cells showed fibroblast-like morphology and ECM partially showed normal characteristic; (F) in combination of IL-1α + IL-4 + prednisolone (1 nM), the most chondrocytes preserved their typical normal phenotype and ECM was intact. Also, a few numbers of fibroblast-like chondrocytes with pyknotic nuclei were observed, and (G) chondrocyte morphology in IL-1α + IL-4 + prednisolone (1,000 nM)-treated group was the same as F group (40×).