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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Sep 8.
Published in final edited form as: Acta Biomater. 2022 Jun 6;148:323–335. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.05.051

Figure 7: Abnormal matrix deposition and myofibroblast proliferation is increased with increasing mesh deformation.

Figure 7:

Thin sections (7 µm) labeled with α-smooth muscle actin (red), apoptotic cells (green), and DAPI (blue) reveal normal matrix deposition (top left) and a very limited number of myofibroblasts (bottom left) in the open-pore Stable configuration. However, abnormal matrix deposition, as depicted by the faint pink staining surrounding mesh fibers (top middle and right images), which corresponds to myofibroblast, is observed in the Unstable (bottom middle) and Predeformed (bottom right) configurations. The small amount of red staining in the Stable group corresponds to the smooth muscle in blood vessels. Mesh fibers are delineated by asterisks (*), with more than one asterisk (** or ***) indicating more than one mesh fiber. The widely spaced fibers of the Stable group, corresponding to open pores, contrasts with the fiber crowding due to mesh deformation in the remaining two groups.