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. 2016 Jul 25;6:30085. doi: 10.1038/srep30085

Figure 7. α2A-AR signalling mediates the severity of condylar cartilage degradation in TMJ-osteoarthritis by decreasing aggrecan expression and increasing MMP-3, MMP-13 and RANKL expression.

Figure 7

Cartilage degradation was observed by H&E and Safranin O-fast green staining (A) in 4-wk control rats and experimental rats which were injected with vehicle saline (Veh), yohimbine (Yoh, α2-adrenoreceptor antagonist) or clonidine (Cld, α2-adrenoreceptor agonist), and the thickness and percentage area of proteoglycans of the condylar cartilage were compared ((B,C), N = 6). Data of real-time PCR (D), N = 5) and immunohistochemical staining (A) and quantification ((E), N = 6) of the expression of aggrecan, MMP-3, MMP-13 and RANKL in above condylar cartilage samples were shown. C: control rats; E: experimental rats. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01: vs vehicle-treated control rats; #P < 0.05, ##P < 0.01: vs vehicle-treated experimental rats.