Alpine skiing is associated with higher femoral neck bone mineral density

Objective:

To evaluate the influence of elite-level alpine skiing on athletes’ skeleton.

Methods:

Thirteen professional alpine skiers (9 males and 4 females with mean age of 22.6 years) and their age- and height matched control subjects were measured with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (total body, lumbar spine, proximal femur, forearm) and quantitative ultrasound (hand).

Results:

After adjusting for sex, age, weight and height, between-group differences were 15% (p=0.012) for the lumbar spine, 14% (p=0.022) for the femoral neck, 10% (p=0.051) for the total hip, and 11% (p=0.001) for the total body favoring the alpine skiers. However, after controlling for total body lean mass (~muscle mass), the group-differences lost their statistical significance, the borderline 10% difference (p=0.051) in femoral neck BMD excluded.

Conclusion:

Factors contributing to the alpine skiers’ higher BMD may not only include the greater muscle mass (~stronger muscles) of these athletes but also a large number of impacts and possibly other high-frequency features in external loading generated by the high-speed skiing performance.     

Bone and cartilage characteristics in postmenopausal women with mild knee radiographic osteoarthritis and those without radiographic osteoarthritis

Objectives:

To evaluate the association between radiographically-assessed knee osteoarthritis and femoral neck bone characteristics in women with mild knee radiographic osteoarthritis and those without radiographic osteoarthritis.

Methods:

Ninety postmenopausal women (mean age [SD], 58 [4] years; height, 163 [6] cm; weight, 71 [11] kg) participated in this cross-sectional study. The severity of radiographic knee osteoarthritis was defined using Kellgren-Lawrence grades 0=normal (n=12), 1=doubtful (n=25) or 2=minimal (n=53). Femoral neck bone mineral content (BMC), section modulus (Z), and cross-sectional area (CSA) were measured with DXA. The biochemical composition of ipsilateral knee cartilage was estimated using quantitative MRI measures, T2 mapping and dGEMRIC. The associations between radiographic knee osteoarthritis grades and bone and cartilage characteristics were analyzed using generalized linear models.

Results:

Age-, height-, and weight-adjusted femoral neck BMC (p for linearity=0.019), Z (p for linearity=0.033), and CSA (p for linearity=0.019) increased significantly with higher knee osteoarthritis grades. There was no linear relationship between osteoarthritis grades and knee cartilage indices.

Conclusions:

Increased DXA assessed hip bone strength is related to knee osteoarthritis severity. These results are hypothesis driven that there is an inverse relationship between osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. However, MRI assessed measures of cartilage do not discriminate mild radiographic osteoarthritis severity.     

Estimated human absorbed dose of a new 153Sm bone seeking agent based on biodistribution data in mice: Comparison with 153Sm-EDTMP

PurposeThe main goal in radiotherapy is to deliver the absorbed dose within the target organs in highest possible amount, while the absorbed dose of the other organs, especially the critical organs, should be kept as low as possible. In this work, the absorbed dose to human organs for a new ¹⁵³Sm bone-seeking agent was investigated.Methods¹⁵³Sm-(4-{[(bis(phosphonomethyl))carbamoyl]methyl}-7,10-bis(carboxymethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododec-1-yl) acetic acid (¹⁵³Sm-BPAMD) complex was successfully prepared. The biodistribution of the complex was investigated in male Syrian mice up to 48 h post injection. The human absorbed dose of the complex was estimated based on the biodistribution data of the mice by radiation absorbed dose assessment resource (RADAR) method. The target to non-target absorbed dose ratios for ¹⁵³Sm-BPAMD were compared with these ratios for ¹⁵³Sm-EDTMP.ResultsThe highest absorbed dose for ¹⁵³Sm-BPAMD was observed in bone surface with 5.828 mGy/MBq. The dose ratios of the bone surface to the red marrow and to the total body for ¹⁵³Sm-BPAMD were 5.3 and 20.0, respectively, while these ratios for ¹⁵³Sm-EDTMP were 4.4 and 18.3, respectively. This means, for a given dose to the bone surface as the target organ, the red marrow (as the main critical organ) and the total body would receive lesser absorbed dose in the case of ¹⁵³Sm-BPAMD.ConclusionsGenerally, the human absorbed dose estimation of ¹⁵³Sm-BPAMD indicated that all other tissues approximately received insignificant absorbed dose in comparison with bone surface and therefore can be regarded as a new potential agent for bone pain palliation therapy.     

Extracellular matrix networks in bone remodeling

Bones are constantly remodeled throughout life to maintain robust structure and function. Dysfunctional remodeling can result in pathological conditions such as osteoporosis (bone loss) or osteosclerosis (bone gain). Bone contains 100s of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and the ECM of the various bone tissue compartments plays essential roles directing the remodeling of bone through the coupled activity of osteoclasts (which resorb bone) and osteoblasts (which produce new bone). One important role for the ECM is to serve as a scaffold upon which mineral is deposited. This scaffold is primarily type I collagen, but other ECM components are involved in binding of mineral components. In addition to providing a mineral scaffolding role, the ECM components provide structural flexibility for a tissue that would otherwise be overly rigid. Although primarily secreted by osteoblast-lineage cells, the ECM regulates cells of both the osteoblast-lineage (such as progenitors, mature osteoblasts, and osteocytes) and osteoclast-lineage (including precursors and mature osteoclasts), and it also influences the cross-talk that occurs between these two oppositional cells. ECM influences the differentiation process of mesenchymal stem cells to become osteoblasts by both direct cell-ECM interactions as well as by modulating growth factor activity. Similarly, the ECM can influence the development of osteoclasts from undifferentiated macrophage precursor cells, and influence osteoclast function through direct osteoclast cell binding to matrix components. This comprehensive review will focus on how networks of ECM proteins function to regulate osteoclast- and osteoblast-mediated bone remodeling. The clinical significance of these networks on normal bone and as they relate to pathologies of bone mass and geometry will be considered. A better understanding of the dynamic role of ECM networks in regulating tissue function and cell behavior is essential for the development of new treatment approaches for bone loss.     

The Developmental Origins of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is one of the most prevalent skeletal disorders and has enormous public health consequences due to the morbidity and mortality of the resulting fractures. This article discusses the developmental origins of osteoporosis and outlines some of the modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors in both intrauterine and postnatal life that contribute to the later onset of osteoporosis. Evidence for the effects of birth size and early growth in both preterm and term born infants are discussed and the role of epigenetics within the programming hypothesis is highlighted. This review provides compelling evidence for the developmental origins of osteoporosis and highlights the importance of osteoporosis prevention at all stages of the life course.     

基于Loxp-Cre系统的FBXL15基因敲除小鼠模型的建立

建立FBXL15基因条件型敲除小鼠模型,为研究该基因所发挥的重要生理功能提供材料和思路。采用KO first策略,构建打靶载体,将1st loxP插入1~2号内含子,在3~4号内含子之间插入FRT-SAIRES-lacZ-loxP-neo-loxP元件,通过Long Range PCR及Southern blot筛选出中靶克隆,随后进行囊胚注射,并将发生同源重组的ES细胞注射进C57BL/6J小鼠囊胚,移入受体小鼠子宫,最后将得到的嵌合体雄鼠与C57BL/6J雌鼠交配获得FBXL15-LoxP小鼠。PCR结果显示FBXL15的Loxp小鼠模型构建成功,该模型可为进一步研究FBXL15在胚胎发育和骨代谢中的调控作用提供工具。     

骨髓干细胞移植治疗肝硬化的基础与临床研究现状

肝硬化是一种临床常见的肝病良性终末期表现。目前临床上尚缺乏有效的治疗措施。肝脏移植是最理想的治疗方法,但受供体肝脏来源限制,且费用昂贵。近年来开展的自体骨髓干细胞(BMSCs)移植治疗,为肝硬化的治疗带来了新的希望。BMSCs主要包括造型血干细胞和间充质干细胞,其具有可塑性,体外通过生长因子,体内利用特定微环境均可诱导BMSCs分化为肝前体细胞和成熟肝细胞,并明显改善肝功能。从动物实验到临床研究亦表明,BMSCs具有来源丰富、费用低廉、损伤小、自体移植不栓塞、无排斥反应等优点,为治疗肝病带来了新思路,有望成为生物人工肝的细胞来源。本文就BMSCs移植治疗肝硬化的研究现状,尤其是移植途径以及在肝脏内定居、迁移和分化机制的示踪观察方法和存在的问题作一综述,以期为从事肝病研究的同仁提供参考依据。通过对BMSCs移植从基础研究及临床应用的最新进展的描述,展示BMSCs在肝硬化治疗方面良好的治疗前景。     

椎弓根螺钉用于植骨融合术治疗胸腰椎结核的临床研究

目的:探讨椎弓根内固定联合植骨融合术治疗胸腰椎结核的临床效果。方法:回顾性分析2013年5月至2014年5月在我院接受治疗的50例胸腰椎结核患者的临床资料,结合影像资料评价患者手术前后的红细胞沉降率、后凸畸形矫正情况、Frankel分级及术后并发症的发生情况等。结果:所有患者术后病理均证实为脊柱结核,术中27例植入大块自体髂骨,23例植入自体肋骨捆绑植骨。24例采用椎体侧前方钉棒内固定,26例采用后路椎弓根螺钉系统内固定。术中未出现脊髓、神经、血管损伤及血气胸等并发症。患者术后红细胞沉降率获得改善,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。术后Cobb角明显获得矫正,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。患者术后脊柱损伤程度明显改善,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:椎弓根内固定联合椎体间植骨融合术治疗胸腰椎结核具有良好的临床效果,不仅可以改善红细胞沉降率,而且可以矫正患者脊柱后凸畸形,值得临床推广应用。