Deficiency and also transgenic overexpression of <i>Timp-3</i> generate defects in trabecular bone.

<p>Trabecular bone phenotype of WT_B6 (black), <i>Timp-3</i> KO (grey), WT_F1 (dark red), <i>Timp-3</i> Tg (light red) tibia at 8 weeks of age. (<i>A</i>) Representative 3D Micro-CT thickness colour-coded images of tibial trabecular bone. <i>Ex vivo</i> high-resolution analyses of distal proximal metaphysical tibia to determine (<i>B</i>) trabecular bone volume/total volume, (<i>C</i>) trabecular number, (<i>D</i>) trabecular thickness and (<i>G</i>) bone surface/bone volume. (<i>H</i>) Representative Alcian blue haematoxylin and orange G/eosin stained sections with outline of trabeculae showing the region of interest used for measurements. These sections were analysed using Osteoid Histo to provide (<i>I)</i> trabecular thickness and <i>(J)</i> trabecular bone surface/bone volume. Box-plots represent means ± SEM. Group sizes for Micro-CT (B-G) were <i>n</i> = 5 for WT littermates and n = 6 for <i>Timp-3</i> KO and Tg mice. Group sizes for histological data (I-L) were <i>n</i> = 4 for all groups. Two-sample t-test was used to compare means between KO and WT_B6, and between Tg and WT_F1. Normality of variance assumption was violated for total area of KO group (<i>E</i>) and homogeneity for trabecular thickness of WT <i>vs</i>. KO group (<i>I</i>) (p > 0.05), thus, for these groups Kruskal-Wallis test was performed. Statistical comparisons: * denotes <i>p</i> ≤ 0.05.