Fig. 6: Autophagy mediated periprosthetic osteolysis in the rat model of biological femoral head replacement.
a Masson’s trichrome staining showed the effects of autophagy levels on synovial tissue thickness around the prosthesis (IM: interface membrane). Scale bar: 50 μm. b The expression of LC3B-II in the synovial tissue of patients experiencing prosthetic loosening, as detected by immunohistochemical staining. Scale bar: 50 μm. c The synovial tissue around the prosthesis was observed by transmission electron microscopy, showing that Al2O3 nanoparticles within fibroblast-like synovial cells induced the formation of different stages of autophagy. Scale bar: 500 nm. d Immunohistochemical staining showed that CD68 expression was affected by the level of autophagy in the synovial tissue surrounding the prosthesis. Scale bar: 50 μm. e TRAP staining to observe the effects of autophagy levels in the synovial tissues around the prosthesis on the number and area of osteoclast formation. Scale bar: 50 μm. f Schematic representation of relevant mechanisms indicating the protective role of autophagy induced by Al2O3 nanoparticles in preventing aseptic loosening. Data are expressed as the means ± SD of three independent experiments. [* compared with Control group (*P < 0.05; **P < 0.01). # compared with Al2O3 + Empty vector group (#P < 0.05; ##P < 0.01)]
