Fig. 7

Representative morphology and tissue response to devices in pouch models at day 30 (a-i). Extensive connective tissue forms (a and b) around the scaffold, with comprehensive mucin deposition (e in blue) and fibrils (e in red) evenly distributed in between, consistent with the gene expression pattern showing proliferation and angiogenesis (i). A tissue layer forms at the interface contacting medium (b and f), where fibrous-like cells line at the surface of tissue (b), producing condensed fibers (f in red) underneath. Cells releasing from muscle fiber (c) migrate within the mucin-fibril rich extracellular matrix (g) towards either outer layer or scaffold (d and h). The osteoid (h, area in scarlet) mesh at the interface (dashed lines) between tissue and scaffold indicates the osteogenic transformation of the connective tissue, which is supported by BMP-2 gene expression results (P < 0.05). Error bars are Mean ± SEM. *^,#, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01. H&E staining (a-d); Movat pentachrome staining (e-h). M = Skeletal muscle, S = scaffold. Bar: A and E, 200 μm; B-D, F-H 50 μm