Figure 5.

Collagen accumulation of nasal chondrocytes isolated using digest protocols of 1 h or 12 h with 750 or 3000 U/ml of collagenase enzyme with physical agitation and subsequent culture in alginate beads for 21 days. (a) Histological evaluation with picrosirius red to identify collagen at day 0 and day 21. Red staining indicates collagen deposits. Scale bar: 1 mm. (b) Collagen content normalized to percentage wet weight (% w/w). (c) Collagen normalized on a per cell basis (Collagen/DNA). ^ASignificance to 1 h incubation for the same enzyme concentration, (p < 0.05).