Fig. 7

Modulation of expression of fibrotic markers: alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and procollagen-lysine, 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenase (PLOD2) in synovial tissues from Prg4 gene-trap animals by CD44. The Prg4 gene-trap allele is a loss of function allele (Prg4^GT/GT) whose function is restored with Cre-excision (Prg4^GTR/GTR). Prg4^GT/GT animals were crossed with Cd44^−/− mice to generate Prg^GT/GT&Cd44^−/− animals. Recombination occurred at 3 weeks of age using intraperitoneal tamoxifen (0.1 mg/g in 100 μL corn oil vehicle) daily for 10 days. Fibrotic markers were probed using specific antibodies and staining intensities (lumens per square millimeter) were quantified. Prg4 recombination reduced α-SMA and PLOD2 staining in synovial tissues of 2-month-old Cd44^+/+ and Cd44^−/− animals. *p < 0.001; ***p < 0.05; n.s., non-significant