Figure 1

PRP and FGF2-TGFβ1 treatment of immature articular cartilage increases cell number in the surface zone of cultured bovine cartilage explants. 10% PRP lysate or growth factors FGF2 (100 ng ml⁻¹) and TGFβ1 (10 ng ml⁻¹) (FT) were added to serum-free culture medium with immature articular cartilage explants and cultured for 21 days. (A) Haemotoxylin and eosin staining of representative sections show the change in cell density at the surface of cartilage explants following treatment. Scale bar equals 50 μm. (B) Explants cultured for 21 days were exposed to 10 μM BrdU for 24 hours. BrdU-positive labelling was detected using a TRITC-conjugated secondary antibody (red) and nuclei counterstained using DAPI (blue). Cells positive for BrdU were detected as purple/pink labelled nuclei. The white asterisk marks the surface of the cartilage explant. Scale bar equals 20 μm. (C) Graph showing the cell number per microscopic field view (200 μm × 190 μm) for treated and untreated immature cartilage (n = 10 per group). (D) Graph of gene expression showing the absolute qPCR values for PCNA using 18 S rRNA as housekeeping control.