Bone Abstracts

Introduction: Activated protein C (APC) plays an important role in the cutaneous healing of chronic wounds arising from orthopaedic surgery and has cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory properties which may also assist bone repair. The aim of this study was to examine whether APC could directly influence osteoblasts and increase bone formation in a rodent model.Methods: Proliferation of MG-63 osteoblast-like cells was quantified by MTT assay and direct co...

Osteocytes make up >90% of bone cells, are embedded in mineralised matrix where they form a communication network. Osteocytes differentiate from osteoblasts, and are mechano-sensitive. They are very difficult to isolate with a dependence on cell lines for in vitro studies of osteocyte biology. Therefore new methods to study these cells are essential. Recent publications indicate that osteoblasts maintained in in vitro 3D collagen gels may differentiate to...

Antenatal glucocorticoid (GC) injections are not only used to enhance fetal lung maturation in preterm children but also for the treatment of maternal conditions such as autoimmune diseases or infections. Animal models and clinical studies suggest that the regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis is altered in the offspring of GC-treated mothers with increased sensitivity to stress.Objective: The aim of this study is i) to define t...

Epilepsy is a relatively common condition of childhood, with anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) the mainstay of medical therapy. AED use in adults has been shown to be associated with impaired bone density and increased risk of bone fracture. Paediatric data are more limited particularly in relation to fracture risk and skeletal geometry.This study aimed to examine the within-pair differences in fracture prevalence and bone, muscle and balance parameters in sex...

Chronic stress and depression are associated with alterations in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal signalling cascade and considered a risk factor for bone loss and fractures. However, the mechanisms underlying the association between stress and poor bone health are unclear. Utilising a transgenic (tg) mouse model in which glucocorticoid signalling is selectively disrupted in mature osteoblasts and osteocytes (HSD2OB-tg mice), the current study examines t...

Chronic stress and depression are associated with alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal signalling cascade and considered a risk factor for bone loss and fractures. However, the mechanisms underlying the association between stress and poor bone health are unclear. Utilising a transgenic (tg) mouse model in which glucocorticoid signalling is selectively disrupted in mature osteoblasts and osteocytes (HSD2OB-tg mice), the current study examines the impact ...

Background: Progressive osseous heteroplasia (POH) (OMIM 166350) is a rare autosomal dominant condition, characterized by heterotopic ossification of the skin, subcutaneous fat and deep connective tissue. This condition is distinct from Albright’s hereditary osteodystrophy or Mccune–Albright syndrome (AHO) (OMIM 103580) and fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) (OMIM 135100).Presenting problem: We present an unu...

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We have previously demonstrated the presence of circulating mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in fracture patients. However, the exact time for their appearance in circulation remains unknown. Nine patients (five females, four males, age 70±12 years, range 55–89 years) with a fresh femoral neck fracture were recruited in the study, which was approved by the local ethical committee. Bone marrow (BM) sample drawn from the iliac crest of all patients served as the individua...

Glycosphingolipids (GSL) are essential structural components of mammalian cell membranes and lipid rafts that exert pleiotropic effects on cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation. Cancer associated GSL have been shown to promote tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis; however their role in osteoclast (OC) activation and the development of osteolytic bone diseases such as multiple myeloma are not known. We investigated the hypothesis that GSL contribute to OC acti...