Fig. 6. Wnt3a treatment rescues the phenotype of Col2.3-11βHSD2 transgenic mice. (A-C) Representative Micro-CT images of the calvaria of 3-day-old (p3) wild-type and Col2.3-11βHSD2 transgenic mice. (A) Wild-type vehicle control; (B) Col2.3-11βHSD2 transgenic littermate, vehicle control; (C): Wnt3a-treated Col2.3-11βHSD2 transgenic mouse (littermate of A,B). (D) Quantitation of unmineralized suture areas. Results are expressed as percent of total skull area. Micro-CT images were analysed using Image J image analysis software. Data are represented as mean±s.e.m. (^*P<0.05; ^**P<0.01 versus transgenic, n=8). tg, transgenic mice; tg Wnt3a, transgenic mice receiving recombinant Wnt3a treatment. (E-M) Representative coronal sections of parietal bones. (E,H,K) Wild-type vehicle control; (F,I,L) Col2.3-11βHSD2 transgenic, vehicle control (CTR) littermate; (G,J,M) Col2.3-11βHSD2 transgenic, Wnt3a-treated littermate. Toluidine Blue stain. (E-G) Parietal bones, base segment. Arrows in F indicate areas of remnant cartilage, whereas arrows in E and G indicate the corresponding positions in wild-type vehicle control and Wnt3a-treated Col2.3-11βHSD2 transgenic littermates. Scale bars: 400 µm. (H-J) Parietal bone, sagittal suture area. Red arrowheads indicate the position of active bone expansion (`growing bone fronts'). b, bone. Ectopic cartilage is present in the sagittal sutures with greater separation of parietal bones in Col2.3-11βHSD2 transgenic vehicle controls (I) compared with the wild-type vehicle control mice (H). In Wnt3a-treated transgenic mice, this phenotype is rescued with only a small cartilage remnant remaining (J). Scale bars: 100 µm. (K-M) Enlarged suture area of H-J. Red arrowheads indicate the position of growing bone fronts. b, bone. Parietal bones are well formed in Wnt3a-treated transgenic mice (M), comparable with what is seen in wild-type animals (K). By contrast, bone is thin and osteoblasts are disorganized in transgenic vehicle control mice (L). Scale bars: 100 µm.