BoneKEy Reports | BoneKEy Watch
Reactive oxygen species and their impact on bone homeostasis
DOI:10.1038/bonekey.2013.165
Oxidative and mechanical stress impact on the maintenance of bone mass and play a role in the development of bone fragility due to aging. In this study, Morikawa et al. used a murine model to find out how these two factors interact.
They compared mice in which the hind limbs were subjected to reduced mechanical loading to controls. The experimental mice had their tails taped to the upper part of the cage so they could still move on their forelimbs but had no loading on the back legs. Compared to control mice, the experimental group showed elevated production of reactive oxygen species inside bone cells, including those in the bone marrow, and significantly lower bone mineral density (BMD).
This appeared to be due to upregulation of the copper/zinc superoxide dismutase gene (Sod1). Further experiments in mice lacking Sod1 (Sod1−/−) showed that mechanical unloading led to a greater reduction in BMD and a reduction in bone formation compared to wild-type mice. This effect was attenuated significantly in Sod1−/− and wild-type mice by giving the animals vitamin C during the period of mechanical unloading.
Editor’s comment: This study has obvious implications for human therapeutics; activating SOD1 using anti-oxidant therapy could prevent bone loss due to a reduction in mechanical loading in periods of inactivity.
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