Fig. 5.

Runx2^HC/HC mice show a decreased number of TRAP positive chondroclasts in the cartilage erosion zone. (A) Hindlimbs from 3-days old littermates were processed for histology and stained with TRAP. A representative image of TRAP-stained tibia from Runx2^+/+ and Runx2^HC/HC littermates is shown at 10x magnification. (B) TRAP and alcian blue double staining performed to reveal the cartilage associated with TRAP + chondroclasts. Representative images are presented at 10x magnification. Scale bar: 100 μm. (C) The number of TRAP + chondroclasts counted from five littermates (n = 5) is presented in a box and whisker plot. (D) RNA isolated from enzymatically cleared epiphyseal growth plates from indicated littermates was used for qPCR performed with four replicates. Relative Opg and Rankl expression normalized with Gapdh is shown in the box and whisker plot. The calculated Rankl/Opg ratio for each sample is presented in a box and whisker plot. (***P < 0.001). (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)