Figure 3.

The anti-apoptotic genes Bcl-X_L, XIAP and IAP-2 are up-regulated by dexamethasone in osteoblasts. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to quantify the expression of seven anti-apoptotic genes in response to treatment with Dex alone (open squares), vanadate alone (closed diamonds) or Dex and vanadate in combination (closed circles) in the MBA-15.4 mouse osteoblastic cell line. Osteoblasts were treated with 1 μM Dex and/or 0·1 μM vanadate for 30 min to 6 days while growing in 10% FCS. Levels of the anti-apoptotic genes and the dexamethasone-insensitive housekeeper, GAPDH, in treated samples were quantified and compared to the respective transcript levels in untreated controls using the relative standard curve method. A total of three independent experimental repeats were performed, and repeat assessments of cDNA from each experiment were also made. *P<0·05, **P<0·01.