Interleukin 10-deficient mice develop osteopenia, decreased bone formation, and mechanical fragility of long bones.

Background & Aims: Bone loss is a common complication of human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but its mechanisms are not understood completely. We investigated bone metabolism in interleukin-10-deficient ( IL-10-/- ) mice, an animal model with IBD features.

Methods: IL-10-/- male mice (8- and 12-weeks-old) and their age-matched wild-type counterparts (C57BL/6J) were studied.