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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2023 Apr 1.
Published in final edited form as: Adv Healthc Mater. 2022 Feb 18;11(8):e2102265. doi: 10.1002/adhm.202102265

Figure 2. dECM microparticles and hydrogels characterization.

Figure 2.

Representative SEM images of dECM hydrogels (A) and dECM microparticles (B). (C) Atomic force microscopy analysis indicates that dECM microparticles (4.5 ± 0.7 kPa) have higher elastic moduli than hydrogels (2.5 ± 0.3 kPa). (D) dECM hydrogels release soluble proteins in aqueous buffer within 24 h. The dECM microparticles exhibit a slower protein release rate. (E) In an infinite dilution experiment over 14 days, most of the diffusible proteins were released from hydrogels within 2 days, whereas dECM microparticles showed a more consistent protein release rate. (F) The dECM hydrogels and microparticles swelling and water uptake were evaluated by microscopy and analytical balance. (G) The area of dECM microparticles increases by 70% within 10 min in water, dECM hydrogels showed 3% increase in dimensions after immersing in water. (H) The weight of dECM microparticles increased by 95% after absorbing water, while that of dECM hydrogels increased by 85%. (Panel C: n = 150 to 170 measurements, unpaired t-test. Panel G, H: n=3 per treatment, unpaired t-test. *p<0.05, **p<0.01, ****p<0.0001. All data presented as mean ± SD.)