Figure 1

Exogenous Sema3A enhances bone volume in vivo. (A) Graphic representation of para-tibial injection of human KHOS cells treated with Sema3A (0.7 mg/kg) or vehicle (n = 7, 21 days) in 5 week old female Rj: NMRI nude mice. (B) Bone volume (BV/TV) and trabecular number (Tb.N), separation (Tb.Sp.), pattern factor (Tb.Pf) and structure model index (SMI) from non-inoculated tibia (solid circle) from the mice described in panel A. Representative photomicrographs of microCT scan of trabecular bone from the experiment described are shown in the right. (C) Bone volume (BV/TV) from tumour-bearing tibia from the mice described in panel A. Representative photomicrographs of microCT scan of trabecular bone from the experiment described are shown on the right. (D) In vivo osteoclast number (Oc.N, left) and osteoclast surface (Oc.S/BS, middle) from tibial metaphysis from mice from the experiment described in panel C. Representative photomicrographs of TRAcP positive osteoclasts indicated with solid arrows and osteoblasts indicated with dotted arrows from the experiment described are shown on the right. (E) In vivo osteoblast number (Ob.N, left) and active osteoid surface (Ob.S/BS, middle) from tibial metaphysis from mice from the experiment described in panel C-E. Data are mean ± SEM, n = 7 and n = 5 for histomorphometry *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01.