FIG. 8.

SB203580-mediated inhibition of RANKL mRNA expression in osteoblasts infected with S. pyogenes. Osteoblasts were preincubated (1 h, 37°C) with SB203580 at concentrations of 0, 1, 2, and 5 μM and then infected with S. pyogenes (MOI, 10) for 6 h at 37°C. RANKL mRNA levels were determined by real-time PCR. The results were expressed as fold increases compared with the RANKL mRNA levels in osteoblasts cultured without stimulants. The values are the means ± standard deviations for triplicate assays. An asterisk indicates that the P value was <0.05 for a comparison with the RANKL mRNA level in the cells infected with S. pyogenes in the absence of SB203580.