Influence of bevacizumab on VEGF and MMP-1 protein levels. VEGF and MMP-1 expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry staining. (A) Representative images showing the immunostaining results of VEGF and MMP-1 in the synovium and articular cartilage regions of the four groups; Scale bar, 50 mm (in top panels), and 100 mm (in bottom panels). (B) Semiquantitative analyses of the percentage of VEGF positive cells (brown) in the synovium of the four groups. The results showed that bevacizumab treatment significantly reduced the number of VEGF-positive cells in the synovium compared to the NC group; n = 8 per group. *p < 0.05, bevacizumab group, SH group, TA group compared to the NC group, #p < 0.05, bevacizumab group compared to the SH group and TA group. (C) Semiquantitative analyses of the percentage of MMP-1 positive cells (brown) in the articular cartilage of the four groups. The results showed that bevacizumab treatment significantly reduced the MMP-1 positive cells in the articular cartilage compared to the NC group; n = 8 per group. *p < 0.05, bevacizumab group, SH group, TA group compared to the NC group, #p < 0.05, bevacizumab group compared to the SH group and TA group.