Figure 3
Sod2 deletion in osteocytes impairs the canaliculi structure and osteocyte survival.
(a) AgNOR staining of osteocytic canaliculi in the endosteal region of the cortical femurs of the Sod2ot/ot and wild-type male mice at 3 and 5 months of age. The scale bars indicate 50 and 10 μm (inset), respectively. (b) HE staining of femoral sections of the Sod2ot/ot and wild-type male mice at 5 months of age. The red arrowheads and black arrows indicate osteocyte lacunae and empty lacunae, respectively. The scale bar indicates 20 μm. (c) The number of osteocyte canaliculi (N.Ot.Ca.) per osteocyte lacuna (Ot.Lc.) in the cortical femurs (n = 4–5 each group). (d) A Western blot analysis of the Cx43 levels in the flushed tibia at 5 months of age. (e) The total number of lacunae per bone volume (Tt.N.Lc/BV), number of osteocyte lacunae per bone volume (N.Ot/BV), number of empty lacunae per bone volume (N.Emp.Lc/BV) and ratio of the number of osteocyte lacunae (N.Ot) to the number of empty lacunae (N.Emp.Lc) in the femoral cortical bone of the Sod2ot/ot and wild-type male mice at 5 months of age (n = 4–5 each group). *p < 0.05. The error bars indicate the SD.
