Cooperative Regulation of Substrate Stiffness and Extracellular Matrix Proteins in Skin Wound Healing of Axolotls

Figure 4

In vitro culture of metamorphic axolotl skin explants on polystyrene plate. Skin explants with 2 mm holes were cultured on 300 μg/cm², (a) to (c), and 20 μg/cm², (d) to (f), collagen-coated plate. After 24 h of culturing, the keratinocytes migrated little, neither from the inner punched holes (b, arrows) nor from the outer edge of the skin explants (c, arrow) on the 300 μg/cm² collagen-coated petri dish. By contrast, on the 20 μg/cm² collagen-coated petri dish, the keratinocytes migrated further, both inner and outer from the skin explants (e and f, hollow arrow heads). Wound epithelium recovery showed significant difference of average migration rate after 24 h incubation by unpaired -test (g). Sample sizes for each condition were as follows: 20 μg/cm²: ; 300 μg/cm²: . ^****. Scale bars: 1000 μm.