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. 2018 Feb 10;19(2):537. doi: 10.3390/ijms19020537

Figure 9.

Figure 9

Chondrogenic gene expression during equine umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (eUCB-MSCs) chondrogenesis induced by TGF-β3 ± BMP-2 compared to TGF-β1 + BMP-2. eUCB-MSCs were cultured in type I/III collagen sponges for seven, 14, 21, and 28 days in normoxia or in hypoxia, in the absence (control), or in the presence of 50 ng/mL of BMP-2 and 10 ng/mL of TGF-β1 (BMP-2 + TGF-β1) or in the presence of 10 ng/mL of TGF-β3 alone or with BMP-2 (BMP-2 + TGF-β3). RT-qPCR analysis of relative mRNA expression of the indicated genes (Col2a1, Acan, Col9a1, Col11a1, and Snorc) is shown. Gene expression was normalized to the β-Actin mRNA expression, compared with eUCB-MSCs cultured in monolayer at the fourth passage (Day 0). Equine articular chondrocyte (EAC) mRNAs were used as positive control. Histograms represent two independent experiments performed in triplicate. Statistically significant differences between time points with the same culture medium were determined using the Friedman test. Statistically significant differences between the culture medium at the same time point were determined using the Kruskal–Wallis test. Comparison of the differences between normoxia and hypoxia was performed using the two-tailed Mann–Whitney test. In each case, no statistical significant differences were observed. AU: arbitrary units.