Growth Induction and Low-Oxygen Apoptosis Inhibition of Human CD34+ Progenitors in Collagen Gels
Figure 1
Experimental scheme and results of 3D matrix culture. (a) Procedures used in the present study with all the principal actions performed to assess cell phenotype, growth, and survival. (b) Counting of recovered cells from the bottom of culture plates (bottom), 3D matrix (gel), and the overlying cell culture medium (up) revealed that the majority of cells remained confined in the matrix; data are expressed as percentage of the total number of cells recovered from the three compartments in the presence or the absence of cytokines. Micrographs on the right show the presence of isolated cells (− cytokines) or proliferating cells clusters (+ cytokines) at different focal planes (-axis distance 200 μm) in the 3D matrix. (c) Flow cytometry experiments showed that, at seven days of culture, the number of cells expressing CD34 and CD133 stem cell markers was significantly enhanced by culture in 3D conditions compared to 2D in the presence of the same cytokines’ concentration. By contrast, the number of CD31 and CD14 cells was not significantly changed. * indicates by one-way ANOVA with Newman-Keuls post-hoc analysis ().
