Fig. 8.

Intra-articular injections of TGFα-NPs delays PTOA development. (A) 2-month-old WT mice received 6 N loading, followed by intra-articular injections of PBS, TGFα-DBCO, or TGFα-NPs starting right after loading and then once every 3 weeks for 12 weeks. Knee joints were harvested at 2 weeks and 3 months after loading for further histology analysis. (B) Representative safranin-O/Fast green images of articular cartilage at 2 weeks and 3 months after loading. Scale bars, 100 μm. (C) Cartilage injury length was quantified (n = 5/group). (D) OA severity at 3 months after loading was assessed by Mankin score (n = 5/group). (E) Representative H&E-stained sections of synovium at 2 weeks and 3 months post loading. Scale bars, 50 μm. (F) Synovitis score was quantified (n = 5/group). The comparisons were conducted by ordinary one-way ANOVA with Tukey–Kramer multiple comparison test.