Fig. 2. Carnosol induces the expression of osteoblast-related genes.

(A) Carnosol upregulated the gene expression of early (Runx2, Osx, Alp, and Col1a1) and late osteogenic factors (Ocn and Opn) in mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (mBMSCs) during osteogenesis. mBMSCs were induced to osteoblast differentiation using OIM in the absence (I+DMSO) or the presence of 10 µM carnosol (I+Carnosol) for 12 days. Gene expression values were normalization to reference genes and represented as fold change over induced cells without carnosol. (B) Analysis of carnosol-induced osteoblast-related genes in mBMSCs during osteogenesis using qPCR-based osteogenic gene array assay. The pie chart showed the percentage of upregulated genes as categorized by their osteogenic functions according to the data in Table 1. Values are mean ± standard deviation of three independent experiments (**p < 0.005 compared to I+DMSO). OIM, Osteogenic-induction medium.