Figure 3.
Effect of intra‐articular NR4A3 overexpression and knockdown on rat OA model. Seventy‐five rats were used here, and they were randomly divided into five groups (15 rats in each group). The rats in the Sham group received sham surgery as blank control. The other 60 rats received surgical remove of medial meniscus and were regarded as OA rats. Twenty μL lentivirus‐overexpressing NR4A3 particles (1 × 108TU/mL) were injected intra‐articularly in OA rats every 2 wk in the Lenti‐OE group 1 wk post‐surgery. Lentivirus‐control particles at the same dose were injected intra‐articularly in OA rats in the Lenti‐NC group. Lentivirus‐shNR4A3 particles at the same dose were injected intra‐articularly in OA rats in the Lenti‐KD group. Lentivirus‐shcontrol particles at the same dose were injected intra‐articularly in OA rats in the Lenti‐shCon group. (A) Microscopic images of safranin O‐stained and NR4A3‐ and COX‐2‐stained immunofluorescence analysis of rat knee joint sections. (B) Quantitation of immunofluorescence analysis (obtained from experiments of 5 knees each group) and OARSI grading system (0‐6) (obtained from experiments of 10 knees each group) was used to evaluate the sections. *P < .05