Figure 2.

Strontium ranelate decreases receptor activator of NFκB ligand (RANKL) mRNA and protein expression in human osteoblasts. Cells were exposed for 24 h to vehicle or: 0.01, 0.1, 1 and 2 mM strontium ranelate, before RNA was extracted, converted to cDNA and then analysed by real-time reverse transcription PCR. (A) RANKL mRNA expression was quantified and expressed as % of the value after treatment with vehicle (% vehicle). The results are presented as means ± SEM from three experiments, each with triplicates. (B) RANKL protein was detected by Western blotting after cells were exposed to treatments for 24 h. One blot is shown, representative of two experiments. Concentrations are expressed as added to the vehicle, which contains 1 mM Ca²⁺. ***P < 0.001 compared with vehicle; **P < 0.01 compared with vehicle.