The effect of forced exercise on knee joints in Dio2^−/− mice: type II iodothyronine deiodinase-deficient mice are less prone to develop OA-like cartilage damage upon excessive mechanical stress

Objective To further explore deiodinase iodothyronine type 2 ( DIO2 ) as a therapeutic target in osteoarthritis (OA) by studying the effects of forced mechanical loading on in vivo joint cartilage tissue homeostasis and the modulating effect herein of Dio2 deficiency. Methods Wild-type and C57BL/6- Dio2 −/− -mice were subjected to a forced running regime for 1 h per day for 3 weeks. Severity of OA was assessed by histological scoring for...