Bone Abstracts

Dominant osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a bone disease mainly caused by collagen type I mutations and characterized by bone fragility and growth delay. Nowadays no definitive cure is available. A zebrafish OI model (Chihuahua) carrying an heterozygous G574D substitution in the α1 chain of collagen type I was generated by ENU mutagenesis and is available in our laboratory. Control (WT) and mutant (Chi+/−) fish growth was followed up from day 1 post fertilization to ...

After many years of study, researchers show that obesity can harm the bones. It is not known whether the increased fat mass can accelerate the process of bone loss. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether high-fat diet accelerates the process of bone loss in ovariectomized rats. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of our Institution (188/2013). 40 female wistars rats with body mass of 60 g were used in this study. They were equally divided into four experimen...

Bone tissue homeostasis requires the coordinated activity of osteoblasts, the bone forming cells, of osteoclasts, the bone resorbing cells, and of osteocytes, generally referred as the bone mechano-sensors. In this contest, osteoblasts are the mesenchymal cells secreting the extracellular matrix components on which hydroxyapatite crystals are then deposited. The most abundant protein of this organic matrix is type I collagen, a heterotrimeric secretory protein, synthesized as ...

A micro-indentation technology potentially allows in vivo investigation of intrinsic bone tissue quality, a determinant of bone fragility. Thus the signification of the parameters investigated is still unclear.Since protein malnutrition affects bone material level properties – geometry and strength – rats were fed a normal or an isocaloric low-protein diet. Both femurs were collected and measurements of geometry using micro CT, materia...

Introduction: Currently, osteoporosis is mainly diagnosed through dual-enargy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). However, DXA cannot be used for early diagnoses through population mass screenings because of issues related to ionizing radiation employment. Aim of this study is to perform a preliminary clinical validation of a new ultrasound (US)-based method for vertebral densitometry.Methods: A total of 270 women were included in this study according to the fol...

Hip+ fracture rate in Norway is the highest registered in World, and more than double that of Spanish women. Previous studies were unable to demonstrate significant differences between the two populations with respect to bone mass or calcium metabolism. In order to test, whether the difference in fracture propensity between both populations could be explained by differences in bone material quality we assessed bone material strength using microindentation in 41 Norwegian and 4...

Hip fracture rate in Norway is the highest registered in World, and more than double that of Spanish women. Previous studies were unable to demonstrate significant differences between the two populations with respect to bone mass or calcium metabolism. In order to test, whether the difference in fracture propensity between both populations could be explained by differences in bone material quality we assessed bone material strength using microindentation in 41 Norwegian and 46...

Transient osteoporosis of hip (TOH) is a spontaneous resolving skeletal disorder characterized by sudden onset of severe pain which resolves within 6–12 months. It is seen more commonly in middle aged men, though also seen in third trimester of pregnancy. MRI is the main diagnostic tool. It is idiopathic in nature.We present a case report of a young adult male who presented with migratory transient osteoporosis of both hip joints separated by a peri...

We have shown that genetic ablation of Cdh2 (N−cadherin gene) in osteolineage cells results in osteopenia and decreased osteoprogenitor number. Paradoxically, others have shown that mice overexpressing Cdh2 in osteoblasts are also osteopenic; an action linked to a negative effect of N−cadherin (Ncad) on Wnt signaling, via sequestration of low density lipoprotein receptor−related protein−...

Skeletogenesis is an intricate process controlled by numerous transcriptional factors, hormones and signalling pathways. Recently, microRNAs emerged as important players in skeletogenesis but, only few were identified and most of their targets remain unknown. Previous works showed that miR-199a-2/214 cluster is essential for skeletal development and that miR-214 inhibits bone formation in mammals. However, data regarding its skeletal role in other vertebrates is scarce and its...