Fig. 4

Effects of hypergravity and VL on the expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL), osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (RANK) in the tibia of mice. Total RNA was extracted from the tibia of mice treated with VL or sham surgery after exposure to 1 g or 2 g for 2 (a) and 8 weeks (b). Then, the mRNA level of RANKL, OPG, RANK and GAPDH was assessed by real-time PCR analysis. Data are expressed relative to the levels of GAPDH and ratio of RANKL to OPG mRNA levels. The data represent the mean ± SEM of 6 (a) and 4 (b) tissues in each group