Figure 1

Characterization of decellularized rabbit tracheal matrix.

Movat pentachrome staining showed that compared with the native trachea (A), after seven decellularization cycles (B), the three-dimensional architecture and composition of the matrix remained intact and was virtually unaltered. 4′-6-Diamidino-2-phenylindole staining of the native trachea (C). After seven detergent-enzymatic treatment cycles (D), the nuclei were completely removed in the noncartilaginous tissue and a small number of nuclei remained only in the thick cartilage and cell debris retained in the lacunae. Glycosaminoglycan expression visualized by safranin O staining in native trachea (E) and trachea after seven detergent-enzymatic treatment cycles (F); glycosaminoglycan was stained red/orange. The immunolabelling of type II collagen within the cartilage matrix suggested that compared with the native trachea (G), the trachea after seven detergent-enzymatic treatment cycles (H) experienced no significant decline in collagen content. The scale bar is 25 μm.