FIG. 4.

Encapsulated canine islet morphology. Representative micrographs (40 × ) were taken of encapsulated and control canine islets that were stained with dithizone at 3 and 21 days for morphological evaluation. Dithizone, red color, indicates the presence of insulin, and, thus, identifies healthy beta cells. Islets are characterized by their expected appearance with smooth, rounded edges. In the control group at day 21, however, single cells were seen sloughing off from the islets, which was not observed in the encapsulated islet groups. The cloudy appearance of the islets in alginate is a property of the gel.