Fig. 5

 C-kit inhibition protects rats from mechanical instability induced OA model

(A) Tracing of lenti-virus packaged EGFP-shC-kit (green) with intra-articular injection. (B) Expression of C-kit in synovium and cartilage derived from control, Hulth, and Hulth + shC-kit rats. (C) HE staining (above, bar = 500 μm) and amplified C-kit staining (below, bar = 100 μm) focused on synovium and cartilage (F: femur; T: tibia; M: meniscus; S: synovium) (n = 3). (D-E) EMT-related genes’ (D, E) and inflammatory factors’ (D) expression in rats synovium (n = 3). (F) Safranin O/fast green staining of cartilage (up) and OARSI semi-quantitative scoring system. including cartilage, subchondral bone, osteophyte and synovitis (bottom) (n = 3, bar = 800 μm). (G) The medial joint space (white arrow, between two dotted lines) in coronal position of total knee and MOAKS score by magnetic resonance imaging (n = 3, bar = 1000 μm). ∗p < 0.05; ∗∗p < 0.01; ∗∗∗p < 0.001. MFC: medial femoral condyle; MTP: medial tibial plateau