Figure 2.

Effects of the systemic administration of prazosin on osteoblastic bone formation and resorption in mice. (A) An analysis of the MS/BS, MAR and BFR in the cancellous bone compartment of the distal femur metaphysis of mice administered saline and prazosin; n = 8 or 9 mice per group. Similar results were obtained in three independent experiments. Values are expressed as means ± SEM; ^* P < 0.05, significantly different from each control value. (B) Effects of the systemic administration of prazosin on Runx2, Osx and OC mRNA expression in cancellous bone. Total RNA was isolated from the distal region of the femur in 12‐week‐old male mice administered saline or prazosin, followed by the determination of Runx2, Osx and OC mRNA levels by real‐time qRT‐PCR using specific primers; n = 9 or 10 mice per group. Similar results were obtained in three independent experiments. Values are expressed as means ± SEM; ^* P < 0.05, significantly different from each control value. (C) Mice were treated with prazosin at 30 μg·kg⁻¹ per day or saline for 2 weeks, followed by the staining of osteoclasts with TRAP. The amounts of Oc.S/BS and Oc.N/BS were measured (n = 8 or 9 mice per group). Values are expressed as means ± SEM. ^* P < 0.05 significantly different from the control. (D) Effects of the systemic administration of prazosin on Nfatc1 and Ctsk mRNA expression in bone. Total RNA was isolated from the distal region of the femur in 12‐week‐old male mice administered saline or prazosin, followed by the determination of Nfatc1 and Ctsk mRNA levels by real‐time qRT‐PCR using specific primers. n = 11 or 19 mice per group. Values are expressed as means ± SEM. ^* P < 0.05 significantly different from the control.