RANKL expression in chondrocytes and its promotion by lymphotoxin-α in the course of cartilage destruction during rheumatoid arthritis
Fig 3
Evaluation of RANKL expression in articular cartilage by immunoelectron microscopy.
The localization of 10 nm colloidal gold particles labeled RANKL antibody are observed as electron–dense punctate. (A and C) Lower magnification micrograph of deep layer chondrocyte and surrounding matrix. (B) Insets of A showing localization of immunogold at pericellular matrix (a, b), cytoplasm and cell membrane (c, d, e), and territorial matrix surrounding chondron (f, g, h, i). Scale bars = 500 nm. (D) Inset of C showing extracellular vesicles scattered randomly with the territorial matrix without labeling by colloidal gold, indicating these vesicles do not contain RANKL. Ch, chondrocyte; N, nucleus; EVs, extracellular vesicles.