Figure 4.
Tsc1−/− MSCs Showed Increased Proliferation, but Defective Osteogenic and Chondrogenic Differentiation
(A) Ki67 staining of femur bones of Prx1-Cre; Tsc1f/f and control mice. Right panel: quantitation data. Scale bars, 200 μm (left panel) and 50 μm (middle panel). N = 3 mice (6 views each).
(B) Prx1-Cre; Tsc1f/f mice showed an increase in the number of OBs in the trabecular region. N = 8 mice.
(C) Prx1-Cre; Tsc1f/f mice showed an increase in the number of bone marrow colony-forming units (CFU). Right panel: quantitation data. N = 4 independent experiments.
(D) Prx1-Cre; Tsc1f/f BM-MSCs showed a decrease in OB differentiation, judged by ALP and von Kossa staining, a decrease in chondrocyte differentiation, judged by Alcian blue staining, but normal adipocyte differentiation. Scale bar, 100 μm.
(E) qPCR results revealed that Tsc1−/− MSCs showed a decrease in the expression of osteogenic and chondrogenic markers. N = 4 independent experiments.
(F) Tsc1−/− MSCs showed decreased activation of β-catenin. BM-MSCs were isolated from Prx1-Cre; Tsc1f/f and control mice, cultured for 3 days, and then harvested for western blot analysis.
Error bars represent the SD. ∗p < 0.05; ∗∗p < 0.01.