FIG. 5.

Alcian blue/nuclear fast red histological staining of paraffin sections of NC pellets cultured for (A) 14, and (B) 21 days in the three culture conditions tested: BM, CM, or CM supplemented with γ-PGA (CM+γ-PGA). sGAG deposition was observed by the presence of blue staining, here represented in darker shades of grey within pellets ECM. One representative donor of each cell type is presented here. For each time point: the first column presents whole pellet images (bars represent 500 μm). The three columns to the right are detailed images of distinct regions of the cell pellet: peripheral, middle, and center of the pellets. The bars represent 50 μm. Black circles highlight round-shaped cell morphologies. Color images available online at www.liebertpub.com/tea