Fig. 2. Wedelolactone promotes the chondrogenic differentiation of rat BMSCs. (A) Schematic procedure of the chondrogenic differen-tiation of BMSCs. (B) Image of the chondrogenic pellet differentiated from BMSCs. (C) Gene expression analysis of the chondrogenic differentiation markers (COL2A1, SOX9, and ACAN) in the chondrogenic pellet. (D) Western blotting analysis of the chondrogenic differentiation markers (COL2A1 and SOX9) in the chondrogenic pellet. (E) Mean gray value was used to quantify the protein expression levels of COL2A1 and SOX9 in the chondrogenic pellet. (F) Schematic of the experimental outline. BMSCs treated with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or wedelolactone were mixed with the hydrogel and transplanted into the cartilage defect model, and the joint tissues were collected after 6 weeks. (G) Safranin-O fast green stains of joints after 6 weeks (n=5 rat per group). The Osteoarthritis Research Society International scoring system was used to grade the rat cartilage degeneration. Data are expressed as the mean±SD (n=3). Statistical differences were analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s test: **p<0.01, ***p<0.001.

International Journal of Stem Cells 2023;16:326-41 https://doi.org/10.15283/ijsc22046

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