Bone Abstracts

The close relationship between muscle and bone has long been recognized especially during development where one tissue does not develop in the absence of the other. The mechanical interactions between the two tissues have dominated research under the assumption that the major interaction between the two tissues was the loading/unloading of bone by muscle. Though clear that loading of bone by muscle is necessary to maintain healthy bone, the concept that bone could have positive effects on muscle mass and function did not exist until recently. We have shown that bone cells, specifically osteocytes, make factors such as prostaglandin and Wnt3a and unknown factors that support myogenesis and muscle function. We also have data showing that muscle factors can protect osteocytes against cell death or apoptosis due to glucocorticoids or to oxygen radical production and that production of these factors are increased with muscle contraction. Several new in vivo studies suggest that bone produces factors that increase and maintain muscle mass in young animals, but that with age, osteocytes actually produce factors that decrease muscle mass and function. For muscle diseases, it will be important to determine if specific bone factors can reduce or ameliorate the disease and conversely, for bone disease, it will be important to identify muscle factors as potential therapeutics.

Disclosure: The author declared no competing interests.