Fig. 2.

Protein concentrations in the mixture of the cells and their culture medium. The collagen sponges were subjected to mechanical compression using vial static compression applied at 0 (noncompression), 20, or 40 kPa for 1 h and subsequent incubation for 24 h. The concentration of protein in the sponges and culture medium was assayed. a The concentration of MMP-1 was assayed using Western blotting. The concentrations of glycosylate-Pro-MMP-1 (57 kDa) and Pro-MMP-1 (52 kDa) in the 40 kPa compressed group were higher than in the non-compressed control. The concentration of GAPDH (37 kDa) did not change in any of the groups. b The levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were assayed using gelatin zymography. No band corresponding to Pro-MMP-9 (92 kDa) or MMP-9 (83 kDa) was detected. The level of Pro-MMP-2 (72 kDa) was higher in the 40 kPa compressed group than in the non-compressed control group. The level of MMP-2 (62 kDa) in the 20 kPa compressed group was higher than in the non-compressed control group. All samples were normalized by protein concentration