Figure 7.

Chondrogenic differentiation capabilities of the nine groups of MSCs. (A)–(D) MSCs in a 21-day micromass culture with non-differentiation control (−) and chondrogenic differentiation media (+). (A) and (C) Micromasses stained with Alcian blue. (B) and (D) Immunodetection of type II collagen assessed in micromasses. Scale bar: 100 μm. (E) Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction measurements of the expression levels of the chondrogenic markers Sox9 and Col2a1. mRNA levels were measured in three independent samples (n = 3). Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. *P < .05. FA, fibrous ankylosis; BA, bony ankylosis; BM, bone marrow; MSCs, mesenchymal stromal cells.