Fig. 4
Evaluation of adipocyte differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells. (a) Microscopic (×10) (upper) and whole (bottom) images of the wells of adipose-derived stem cells (AdSCs) cultured with (+) or without (−) adipocyte differentiation medium on tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) for 14 or 21 d. (b) Absorbance of the culture medium with extracted pigments of AdSCs cultured with (+) or without (−) adipocyte differentiation medium on TCPS for 14 or 21 d. (c) Microscopic (×10) (upper) and whole images (bottom) of the wells of AdSCs cultured first in the IP hydrogel for 7 d and then on TCPS with (+) or without (–) adipocyte differentiation medium for 14 or 21 d. (d) Absorbance of the culture medium with extracted pigments of AdSCs cultured first in the IP hydrogel for 7 d and then in TCPS with (+) or without (−) adipocyte differentiation medium for 14 or 21 d. The cells were stained with ORO. (e)–(g) Relative mRNA expression levels of (e) APN/GAPDH, (f) LPL/GAPDH, and (g) PPARγ2/GAPDH in adipose-derived stem cells cultured with (+) or without (−) adipose differentiation inductive factors for 14 or 21 d on TCPS with or without preincubation in the IP hydrogel for 7 d, as analyzed by RT‒qPCR. Data in (b) and (d)–(g) are expressed as the mean ± standard deviation (n = 3). *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, as determined by the Tukey–Kramer test
