Fig. 3.

SARS-CoV-2 RBD treatment dampens osteogenesis in T2DM mice. (a) Cell proliferation by MTT assay. (b–d) ALP and ARS assay on day 6 and day 21. Scale bar: 200 μm. (c–d) The bar graph represents the ALP activity and calcium nodule assay by ARS. (e) qPCR analysis of Osx and Bglap mRNA expression. (f–g) TRAP + stained osteoclasts culture. Scale bar: 200 μm. The red arrow indicates matured TRAP + osteoclasts. The bar graph represents the total number of TRAP + osteoclasts (g). (h) TRAP-5b activity in the osteoclast lysates. Experiments were repeated at least three times. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM. n = 5 mice per group. ∗p < 0.05 compared with the WT control, ∗∗p < 0.05 compared with the T2DM, ^#p ≤ 0.05 compared with the T2DM + RBD. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of this article.)