Figure 7.
Histological evaluation of silk and agarose hydrogel cartilage constructs. (A) Alcian blue staining was used to visualize glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content within hydrogel constructs. Arrows indicate co-localization of GAGs around silk microfibers in SF–silk hydrogels, a phenomenon not observed in SF–agarose hydrogels. Immunohistochemistry of (B) collagen type II and (C) collagen type I. Collagen type II was found in a higher abundance in the no-fiber agarose control constructs compared to all other groups. Insert boxes represent negative staining.