Figure 2.
Increased B-lymphopoiesis by IL-7 treatment induces bone loss, as estrogen deficiency does. (a) X-ray analysis of femora collected from the vehicle- and IL-7-treated female mice on day 20, and from the sham-operated and OVX mice 4 weeks after operation. Note that marked bone loss occurred in the distal metaphysis of the femoral cancellous bone in the IL-7-treated mice compared with the vehicle-treated controls. The degree of bone loss due to IL-7 treatment was similar to that in the OVX mice. (Lower) High power views of the respective distal metaphyses (shown in the Upper panels). (b) BMD was measured in the femoral distal metaphysis of mice shown in a Lower. Data are expressed as means ± SEM of nine animals. ∗∗, P < 0.01.