Bone Abstracts

Background: Observations in rodents suggest that osteocalcin (OC) participates in glucose metabolism. Data from human studies are inconclusive and it remains unclear whether OC is simply a marker of bone turnover (BTM) or if it also mediates interactions between the skeleton and glucose homeostasis. This study determined the responses of BTMs, including OC, to oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in obese and normal-weight subjects.Materials and methods: P...

Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) carry a mutation in the dystrophin gene that leads to progressive muscle degeneration. In addition, DMD patients develop low bone mass especially in long bones and have high incidence of fractures. The underlying mechanisms for decreased bone mass remain unclear but muscle weakness and increased IL6 levels may play a role. Inhibition of activin/myostatin pathway has emerged as a novel approach to increase muscle mass and strength...

The role of the WNT pathway in skeletal maintenance has been extensively studied since the identification of mutations in key signaling WNT mediators (LRP5 and sclerostin) in high and low bone mass phenotypes. However, the identity of the key WNT ligand that signals via LRP5/6 has remained unknown. We aimed to identify genes with a major effect on the skeleton by studying individuals and families with early-onset osteoporosis or osteogenesis imperfecta (OI).<p class="abste...