Bone Abstracts

Polynesians have higher bone mineral density and lower rate of hip fracture compared to age-matched Caucasian in New Zealand, and anecdotal evidence suggests that bones of Polynesian patients heal much faster than those of Caucasians. We compared gene expression in osteoblasts cultured form bone samples taken from patients of Polynesian and Caucasian origin, in order to identify genes and pathways that contribute to the greater density and accelerated healing of Polynesian bon...

Calcium supplements are associated with increased cardiovascular risk, but the mechanism by which this occurs is presently uncertain. In a secondary analysis of a trial examining the acute effects of calcium supplements, we found that blood pressure declined over 8 h in the control group, consistent with its diurnal rhythm, and that this decline was smaller in the calcium group [1]. To investigate these effects further, we carried out a randomised controlled cross-over trial o...

Background: In patients with gout, urate deposition has been observed both adjacent to and within tendons, suggesting that monosodium urate monohydrate (MSU) crystals are likely to be in direct contact with tenocytes, the stromal cells of tendons. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of MSU crystals on tenocyte viability and function.Methods: Cultures of primary rat tenocytes were prepared from Wistar rat tails. Primary human tenocytes were...