Figure 1

Ki-67, D7-FIB, and α-SMA staining on tendon explants (day 6 of explantation period) and on tendon-derived fibroblasts (TDF) in monolayer culture. Ki-67 positive (proliferating) cells in the explants were located in the tendinous tissue (A, black arrow), in the endotenon (A, white arrow), and in the vascular walls (A, circle). Cells in the tendon tissue and in the endotenon stained positive for fibroblastmarker D7-FIB (B). Cells in the vascular walls remained negative for D7-FIB (B) and instead stained positive for α-SMA, a marker for pericytes and smooth muscle cells (C). All TDFs in monolayer culture stained positive for D7-FIB from passage one (D) to passage four (E) and remained negative for α-SMA from passage one (F) to passage four (G).