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. 2025 Jul 24;15(16):8117–8136. doi: 10.7150/thno.115406

Figure 2.

Figure 2

Activation of EGFR signaling accelerates fracture healing. (A) Immunofluorescence images of HBEGF distribution in intact and fractured Prx1-Cre; tdTomato mouse femurs. Boxed areas in the left panel are shown at higher magnification on the right. Red: tdTomato+ cells; green: HBEGF+ cells; blue: nuclear staining by DAPI. Scale bars = 500 µm or 50 µm. (B) Percentage of HBEGF+ and tdTomato+HBEGF+ over tdTomato+ within callus were calculated; n = 3 per group. (C) Representative 3D reconstructions and coronal cross-sectional micro-CT images of fracture callus at 7, 10, 14 and 28 dpf. (D) The tissue volume (TV), bone volume (BV) and bone volume fraction (BV/TV) of fracture callus at 7, 10, 14 and 28 dpf were analyzed; n = 8 per group. (E) Fracture healing scores were quantified based on mRUST scoring criteria at 7, 10, 14 and 28 dpf; n = 8 per group. (F) Three-point bending test was performed on femurs at 6 weeks post-fracture; n = 6 per group. (G) Representative Safranin O/Fast green staining images of fracture calluses at 7, 10, 14 and 28 dpf; scale bar = 500 µm. (H) Callus area, cartilage area, and bone area were measured at 7, 10, 14 and 28 dpf; n = 6 per group. Data are presented as means ± SD. Statistical analysis was performed using two-tailed Student's t test (B, D, E, F, H). ns = not significant, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ****P < 0.0001.