Figure 3.

CAPE attenuates the IL-1β-induced extracellular matrix degradation in human chondrocytes. (A) The mRNA expression of collagen II, aggrecan, MMP3, MMP13 and Adamts5 was detected using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. (B) The protein expression of collagen II, MMP3, MMP13 and Adamts5 was detected using western blot analysis and quantified. (C) Collagen II and (D) MMP3 expression was detected by immunofluorescence. Scale bar, 50 µm. ^*P<0.05, ^**P<0.01, ^***P<0.001 and ^****P<0.0001. CAPE, caffeic acid phenethyl ester; Adamts5, a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motif-5.