Figure 3.

Human and ovine skin fibroblasts showed different growth dynamics. Representative phase contrast micrographs of HSFs and OSFs taken after 1 (a and e), 3 (b and f), 5 (c and g), and 9 (d and h) days of culture. Both species showed a typical spindle-shaped morphology but ovine cells reached confluence faster (e–h) than their human counterparts (a–d). (h) After 9 days, ovine cells contracted to create clusters/nodules (•) alongside cell depleted areas (*). Scale bar = 200 µm. (i) Cell proliferation was quantified by counting. Ovine cells showed a higher proliferation rate and reached a higher density. Counts of OSFs at D9 may have been underestimated because of incomplete cell recovery due to nodule formation. Results are expressed as means ± SD, n = 3, two-way ANOVA (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, and ****p < 0.0001; * statistically different from day 1, # statistically different from day 3, $ statistically different from day 5, and £ statistical differences between human and ovine cell counts at a specific time-point). One representative experiment out of four.