Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2023 Feb 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Orthop Res. 2021 Apr 27;40(2):348–358. doi: 10.1002/jor.25050

Figure 4. Aggrecan NITEGE neo-epitope expression gradually and directly increases depedent on load magnitude.

Figure 4.

(A) Aggrecan neo-epitope increased in both 2N-loaded (^) and 3.5N-loaded (*) TMJs on day 15 over normal (represented by gray dashed line). Additionally, cleaved aggrecan expression was greater in 3.5N over 2N loaded TMJs at day 15 timepoint (#). (B) Corresponding IF images of aggrecan NITEGE neo-epitope labelled hypertrophic chondrocytes. Compared to normal, unloaded samples, where NITEGE is lightly labelled in the pericellular region and confined locally to the cell, the day 15 loaded samples had increased darkness of label in the pericellular and interterritorial regions of the tissue matrix. The day 15, 3.5N-loaded samples of the persistent paradigm appear darker with more concentrated NITEGE label in comparison to the day 15, 2N-loaded samples of the resolving model. Scale bar = 15μm.