Figure 5.

Altered immunostaining of osteopontin and receptor-activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) in Enpp1 mutant mice. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) identified osteopontin (OPN) in wild-type (WT) acellular cementum (AC) and alveolar bone (AB) on (A) contralateral control (CC) and (B) orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) sides. Enpp1^asj-2J mice featured intense OPN localization in their expanded AC of both (C) CC and (D) OTM sides. Asterisk (*) in D indicates tooth root resorption. (E, F) In WT mice, more intense RANKL immunolocalization was observed at sites of active bone resorption (indicated by # in F) and in some nearby osteocytes on OTM sides. (G, H) In Enpp1^asj-2J mice, more intense RANKL staining was observed at sites of bone and tooth resorption (indicated by * in H) and in some cementocyte-like cells in the expanded AC layer (black arrows in H). Red-dotted lines in G and H indicate border of AC and dentin (DE).