Cell seeding efficiency was analysed as described elsewhere [40 (link)]. In brief, the cells were loaded onto the scaffolds which were placed in a non-adherent 6 wells plate and incubated for 12 h in 5% CO2 at 37°C. Then, the scaffolds were removed and the number of remaining cells in the wells was measured using a counting chamber method. Considering the number of loaded cells, the seeding efficiency was calculated using the following equation,
The reinforced collagen-based gel-like matrices, βTCP/Col, βTCP/Col-Hep and βTCP/Col-Hep-BMP2 constructs, were characterized using scanning electron microscopy. In brief, the scaffolds were removed from the culture medium after predetermined incubation times, washed in PBS, fixed with Karnovsky’s Fixative, and then dehydrated in gradient aqueous ethanol solutions of 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100%. Samples were gold sputter coated using a GSL-1100X-SPC12 Compact Plasma Sputtering Coater instrument, and then scanned by the scanning electron microscope (JEOL JSM-6510LV).
The reinforced collagen-based gel-like matrices, βTCP/Col, βTCP/Col-Hep and βTCP/Col-Hep-BMP2 constructs, were characterized using scanning electron microscopy. In brief, the scaffolds were removed from the culture medium after predetermined incubation times, washed in PBS, fixed with Karnovsky’s Fixative, and then dehydrated in gradient aqueous ethanol solutions of 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100%. Samples were gold sputter coated using a GSL-1100X-SPC12 Compact Plasma Sputtering Coater instrument, and then scanned by the scanning electron microscope (JEOL JSM-6510LV).