Vascularization and osteogenesis in ectopically implanted bone tissue-engineered constructs with endothelial and osteogenic differentiated adipose-derived stem cells

Figure 6 Immunoexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 in representative sections of ectopic osteogenic implants. A: Two-week-old BC [implants containing only bone mineral matrix (BMM) carrier]; B: Two-week-old BPUI (implants containing uninduced adipose-derived stem cells, platelet-rich plasma and BMM carrier); C: Two-week-old BPEO (implants containing simultaneously applied endothelial and osteogenic differentiated adipose-derived stem cells, platelet-rich plasma and BMM carrier); D: Eight-week-old BC implants; E: Eight-week-old BPUI implants; F: Eight-week-old BPEO implants, G: Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 immunohistochemistry optical density score in implants extracted two (2w) and eight (8w) weeks after implantation (observation points). All images acquired at bright field. Scale bar shows 20 μm. Immunoreactivity is visualized as brown color and represents immunoexpression of the applied antibody. Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 positive cell (black circle); Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 negative cell (orange circle). ^aP < 0.01 BC 2w vs BPUI 2w. ^bP < 0.001 BC 8w vs BPEO 8w. ^cP < 0.001 BPUI 2w vs BPEO 2w. ^dP < 0.001 BPUI 8w vs BPEO 8w. VEGFR-2: Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2; BC: Implants containing only bone mineral matrix carrier; BPUI: Implants containing uninduced adipose-derived stem cells, platelet-rich plasma and bone mineral matrix carrier; BPEO: Implants containing simultaneously applied endothelial and osteogenic differentiated adipose-derived stem cells, platelet-rich plasma and bone mineral matrix carrier; IHC: Immunohistochemistry; OD: Optical density.