Figure 2 | Scientific Reports

Figure 2

From: Bronchial extracellular matrix from COPD patients induces altered gene expression in repopulated primary human bronchial epithelial cells

Figure 2

Decellularization of human bronchial airways efficiently removes cells while preserving the extracellular matrix. (A) The macroscopic structure of the 500 µm thick human bronchial tissue sections was preserved after decellularization (DC). (B) Hematoxylin & eosin, Masson’s trichrome (collagen in blue) and alcian-blue periodic acid Schiff (AB-PAS) (polysaccharides in magenta/purple) stainings as well as immunohistochemistry against the basement membrane proteins collagen IV, laminin and perlecan, before and after DC. Images are representative of n = 3. (C) Dye-binding methods confirmed that DC efficiently decreased DNA content (**p = 0.002) while preserving sulfated glycosaminoglycans (sGAG) and elastin in bronchial scaffolds (n = 6 for DNA, n = 3 for sGAG and elastin). The data were analyzed with the Mann-Whitney test and graphs indicate mean and standard deviation. Scale bars: 3 mm in A and 50 µm in B.

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