Figure 7.

Proteoglycan (PG) degradation in articular cartilage between femur and patella. Sections were stained with safranin O and counterstained with hematoxylin (see Materials and Methods) to determine the proteoglycan contents in murine knee joints before and after the induction of antigen-induced arthritis (AIA). Proteoglycans in cartilage were stained red by safranin O. The proteoglycan content in sections before and after arthritis induction reflects the cartilage degradation during the development of AIA. A, articular cartilage; F, femur; I, infiltrate; P, patella. The proteoglycan content in articular cartilage was decreased on days 1 and 3 in comparison with control day 0 animals. Original magnification × 100.