Skip to main content
. 2015 Jan 20;10(1):e0113426. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113426

Figure 4. Zirconium ions up-regulate gene expression of BMP2 and BMPR in HOBs.

Figure 4

HOBs were treated with ZrO(NO3)2 and ZrCl4 solutions at the concentrations of 5, 50 and 500 µM for 3 and 7 days. Real-time PCR was employed to analyze the gene expression of BMP2 (A), BMP receptors BMPR1a (B), BMPR1b (C) and BMPR2 (D). (A) At D3 and D7, BMP2 gene expression was significantly up-regulated in HOBs treated with ZrO(NO3)2 at 500 µM and ZrCl4 at 50 µM and 500 µM, compared to the control. (B) At D3, BMPR1a expression was up-regulated in HOBs by ZrO(NO3)2 and ZrCl4 only at 500 µM, compared to the control. ZrO(NO3)2 and ZrCl4 at 50 and 500 µM significantly increased BMPR1a expression in HOBs treated for 7 days. BMPR1a gene expression was inhibited by ZrCl4 at 5 µM at D3. (C) BMPR1b expression was significantly increased in HOBs treated with ZrO(NO3)2 and ZrCl4 at 50 and 500 µM at D3 and D7. Increased BMPR1b expression was exhibited by ZrO(NO3)2 at 5 µM only at D7 whereas ZrCl4 at 5 µM only at D3, respectively, compared with the control. (D) Zirconium solutions had no effect on the BMPR2 expression in HOBs.*p<0.05, **p<0.01 vs control.