Figure 4.

SDEs regulate osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption. (a) The number and area of rearrangement of TRAP‐positive multinucleated osteoclasts cultured with SDEs from osteoporosis or osteopenia patients were significantly higher than that of TRAP‐positive multinucleated osteoclasts cultured with SDEs from aged normal volunteers. Moreover, the bone resorption of osteoclasts cultured with SDEs from osteoporosis or osteopenia patients was significantly greater than the resorption of osteoclasts cultured with aged normal volunteers. In addition, the bone resorption of osteoclasts cultured with SDEs from aged normal volunteers was significantly greater than the resorption of osteoclasts cultured with SDEs from young normal volunteers. However, there was no significant difference in the number and area of rearrangement of between the TRAP‐positive osteoclasts treated with either SDEs from young or aged normal volunteers. (b) RAW264.7 cells cultured with RANKL had a similar effect on osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption compared with the effects of SDEs from different groups; however, the bone resorption of osteoclasts cultured with SDEs from aged normal volunteers was no difference comparing to the resorption of osteoclasts cultured with SDEs from young normal volunteers. Representative photographs are shown in the up panel. Quantification of cells is shown in the down panel. All values are representative of at least two independent experiments with similar results and are displayed as mean ± SD. **p < .01, *p < .05. “OC” refers to osteoclast