A cannabinoid 2 receptor agonist attenuates bone cancer-induced pain and bone loss

AimsCannabinoid CB₂ agonists have been shown to alleviate behavioral signs of inflammatory and neuropathic pain in animal models. AM1241, a CB₂ agonist, does not demonstrate central nervous system side effects seen with CB₁ agonists such as hypothermia and catalepsy. Metastatic bone cancer causes severe pain in patients and is treated with analgesics such as opiates. Recent reports suggest that sustained opiates can produce paradoxical hyperalgesic actions and enhance bone destruction in a murine model of bone cancer. In contrast, CB₂ selective agonists have been shown to reduce bone loss associated with a model of osteoporosis. Here we tested whether a CB₂ agonist administered over a 7 day period inhibits bone cancer-induced pain as well as attenuates cancer-induced bone degradation.Main methodsA murine bone cancer model was used in which osteolytic sarcoma cells were injected into the intramedullary space of the distal end of the femur. Behavioral and radiographic image analysis was performed at days 7, 10 and 14 after injection of tumor cells into the femur.Key findingsOsteolytic sarcoma within the femur produced spontaneous and touch evoked behavioral signs of pain within the tumor-bearing limb. The systemic administration of AM1241 acutely or for 7 days significantly attenuated spontaneous and evoked pain in the inoculated limb. Sustained AM1241 significantly reduced bone loss and decreased the incidence of cancer-induced bone fractures.SignificanceThese findings suggest a novel therapy for cancer-induced bone pain, bone loss and bone fracture while lacking many unwanted side effects seen with current treatments for bone cancer pain.     

Impact of Weight‐Cycling History on Bone Density in Obese Women

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of weight cycling (as defined by the frequency and magnitude of intentional weight loss) on bone mineral density and bone mineral content in obese sedentary women. Research Methods and Procedures: Bone mineral content and density measured by DXA, submaximal physical fitness assessment, nutrient intake, oral contraceptive use, and weight‐cycling history were assessed in 195 healthy, overweight sedentary women (age, 21 to 45 years; body mass index, 27 to 40 kg/m²) before beginning a behavioral weight‐loss intervention. Results: After controlling for body weight, multivitamin use, oral contraceptive/estrogen use, and calcium and magnesium intake, women who had a history of weight cycling did not have significantly lower total‐body bone mineral content or density or total femur bone mineral density. In addition, 99% of subjects were above or within one SD of age and gender normative data for total femur bone mineral density. Discussion: It does not seem that a history of weight cycling has an adverse affect on total femur and total‐body bone mineral density in overweight sedentary premenopausal women.     

交联I型胶原复合生物玻璃在兔股骨远端缺损中的成骨作用

摘要 目的：评价交联度不同的I型胶原复合生物玻璃后作为人工骨移植物在兔股骨髁部骨缺损中的修复作用,以研究一种成骨性能优秀,降解速度令人满意,且具有可塑性,便于术中使用的新型人工骨移植材料。方法：本研究设置实验组及对照组,实验组为交联度70%的高交联I型胶原复合生物玻璃以及交联度为45%的低交联I型胶原复合生物玻璃。对照组为普通未交联I型胶原复合生物玻璃。于9只新西兰大白兔双下肢股骨髁部制备动物骨缺损模型,将随机分组后的三种骨移植物分别植入股骨髁部骨缺损模型中。术后6周取材行组织学分析研究,比较3种骨移植物在骨缺损中的新骨生成率。结果：组织学分析结果显示,高交联组的新骨生成率为5.23 0.87%,其成骨性能显著低于低交联组13.23 1.13%以及未交联组的12.63 0.92%（P<0.05）。而低交联组的新骨生成率与未交联组之间无统计学差异（P>0.05）。结论：交联度为45%的低交联I型胶原复合生物玻璃具有更好的成骨能力,作为骨移植材料在临床应用中具有更广阔的发展前景。     

Dosing-time dependent effect of dexamethasone on bone density in rats

AimsWhile glucocorticoids are widely used to treat patients with various diseases, they often cause adverse effects such as bone fractures. In this study, we investigated whether the decrease in bone density induced by glucocorticoid therapy was ameliorated by optimizing a dosing-time.Main methodsRats were administered with dexamethasone (Dex) orally (1 mg/kg/day) for 6 weeks at a resting or an active period. After the end of the treatment, bone density of femur, biomarkers of bone formation and resorption, and other biomedical variables were measured.Key findingsBone density of femur was significantly decreased by the 6-week treatment with Dex, and the degree of decrease in the 14 HALO (hours after light on) dosing group (an active period) was larger than that in the 2 HALO dosing group (a resting period). Although urinary calcium excretion was accelerated by Dex treatment, secondary hyperparathyroidism was not detected. Histomorphometry analysis showed that Dex suppressed bone resorption, which was larger in the 2 HALO than in the 14 HALO groups. These data indicate that Dex equally suppressed bone formation in the 2 and 14 HALO groups, but inhibited bone resorption more in the 2 HALO than in the 14 HALO groups.SignificanceThis study shows that the decrease in bone density induced by Dex was changed by its dosing-time.     

Both spontaneous Ins2+/− and streptozotocin‐induced type I diabetes cause bone loss in young mice

The adolescent skeleton undergoes accelerated growth determining overall bone density, length, and quality. Diseases such as type 1 diabetes (T1D), most often diagnosed in adolescents, can alter bone processes and promote bone loss. Studies examining type 1 diabetic (T1D) bone pathologies typically utilize adult mice and rely on pharmacologic models such as streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced diabetic rodents. To test the effect of T1D on adolescent bone growth/density we used a novel juvenile genetic model (Ins2^+/? mice) that spontaneously develop T1D at approximately 5 weeks of age and compared our findings with STZ‐induced T1D mice. Compared to controls, both Ins2^+/? and STZ‐induced T1D mice displayed blood glucose levels greater than 300 mg/dl and reduced body, fat and muscle mass as well as femur trabecular bone density. STZ mice exhibited greater bone loss compared to Ins2^+/? mice despite having lower blood glucose levels. Cortical bone was affected in STZ but not Ins2^+/? mice. Osteocalcin serum protein and bone RNA levels decreased in both models. Consistent with studies in adult mice, STZ adolescent mice displayed increased marrow adiposity, however this was not observed in the Ins2^+/? mice. Reduced femur length, decreased growth plate thickness and decreased collagen II expression in both model simplies impaired cartilage formation. In summary, both pharmacologic and spontaneous adolescent T1D mice demonstrated a bone synthesis and growth defect. STZ appears to cause a more severe phenotype. Thus, the Ins2^+/? mouse could serve as a useful model to study adolescent T1D bone loss with fewer complications. J. Cell. Physiol. 228: 689–695, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Zinc status is independently related to the bone mineral density,fracture risk assessment tool result,and bone fracture history: Results from a U.S. nationally representative survey

PurposePrevious reports have identified the important role of zinc in bone health. Although the risk of zinc deficiency is still a concern in the U.S., there has never been an in-depth study of the association between zinc status and bone health in a sample representing the country.MethodsWe included 2,895 subjects (aged ≥ 40 years) from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013–2014 to explore the relationship among three biomarkers of zinc (serum, food, and total intake), the bone mineral density (BMD) of the total spine and femur, the FRAX® scores, and the previous history of bone fractures.ResultsWe showed a one-unit increase in the ln-serum zinc level was associated with an increase in the total spine BMD (ß = 0.068; S.E. = 0.028; P = 0.030) and total femur BMD (ß = 0.061; S.E. = 0.017; P = 0.003), while a one-unit increase in the ln-food zinc intake amount was correlated with an increase in the total femur BMD in the participants (ß = 0.023; S.E. = 0.009; P = 0.021). The ln-total zinc intake amount was correlated with an increase in the total femur BMD in women (ß = 0.016; S.E. = 0.007; P = 0.041). We also found food zinc intake was negatively correlated with the FRAX® score, while increased levels of all three zinc biomarkers were associated with a decreased incidence of previous bone fractures.ConclusionsIn this representative survey of American adults above 40 years old, higher zinc status was associated with higher total spine and femoral BMD, lower FRAX® scores, and lower incidence of previous fractures. If this finding is causal, increased zinc intake remains an important issue for Americans.     

Value of DSA in the Diagnostic Workup of Pulsatile Tinnitus

ObjectivesPulsatile tinnitus (PT) is a rare complaint, but can be a symptom of life-threatening disease. It is often caused by vascular pathologies, e.g. dural arteriovenous fistula (dAVF), arteriovenous malformation (AVM) or vascularized tumors. The current diagnostic pathway includes clinical examination, cranial MRI and additional DSA. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic impact of DSA in the diagnostic workup of patients with PT in comparison to MRI alone.MethodsRetrospectively, 54 consecutive patients with pulsatile tinnitus were evaluated. All patients had a diagnostic workup including cranial MRI and DSA. MRI examinations were blinded to the results of DSA and retrospectively analyzed in consensus by two experienced neuroradiologists. The MR-examinations were evaluated for each performed sequence separately: time-of-flight-angiography, ce-MRA, T2, ce-T1-sequence and ce-T1-sequence with fat saturation.Results37 of the 54 patients revealed a pathology explaining PT on MRI, which was detected by the readers in 100% and proofed by means of DSA. 24 dAVF, four paraganglioma, two AVM and seven more pathologies were described. All patients without pathology on MRI did also not show any pathology in DSA.ConclusionsMR imaging is sufficient to exclude pathology in patients with pulsatile tinnitus.     

Expression of orphan receptors GPR22 and GPR162 in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Abstract

Aims/Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic degenerative disease characterized by high blood glucose levels as a result of problems in the action or insulin secretion. Although there are many treatments for this pathology, it has been associated with a high mortality rate. For this reason, it is important to try to identify new pathways that could be involved in diabetic complications. Recently, a new class of receptors has been reported, called orphan receptors because the associated ligand and signaling pathways are unknown, these receptors have been associated with certain pathologies. Therefore, the aim of this work was to study the expression of the orphan receptors GPR22 and GPR162 in heart, aorta, brain and kidney of diabetic rats. Materials and methods: We used Wistar male rats with 10–12 weeks of age. Diabetes was induced by a single dose of streptozotocin (60?mg/kg i.p.). After four weeks, the tissue was obtained and the expression of the mRNA was measured by RT-PCR. Results: Our results showed that the orphan receptors are expressed in a different way in heart, kidney, brain and aorta of diabetic and non-diabetic rats. Conclusions: We conclude that orphan receptors could be involved in the development of diabetes complications.     

Hip muscle activity in people with hip-related pain compared to asymptomatic controls: A systematic review

BackgroundAltered hip and thigh muscle activity have been observed across a spectrum of articular hip pathologies, including hip osteoarthritis, femoroacetabular impingement syndrome, and labral pathology. No systematic reviews have examined muscle activity associated with hip pathology and hip-related pain across the life span. A greater understanding of impairments in hip and thigh muscle activity during functional tasks may assist in the development of targeted treatment strategies.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review using the PRISMA guidelines. A literature search was performed in five databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Sports Discuss, and PsychINFO). Studies were included that (i) investigated people with hip-related pain (femoroacetabular impingement syndrome, labral tears) or hip osteoarthritis; and (ii) reported on muscle activity using electromyography of hip and thigh muscles during functional tasks such as walking, stepping, squatting, or lunging. Two independent reviewers performed data extraction and assessed risk of bias using a modified version of the Downs and Black checklist.ResultsNon-pooled data demonstrated a limited level of evidence. Overall, differences in muscle activity appeared to be more prevalent in people with more advanced hip pathology.ConclusionsWe found that impairments in muscle activity in those with intra-articular hip pathology measured using electromyography were variable but appeared to be greater in severe hip pathology (e.g., hip OA).     

Mathematical modeling of appendicular bone growth in glaucous‐winged gulls

Development of locomotor activity is crucial in tetrapods. In birds, this development leads to different functions for hindlimbs and forelimbs. The emergence of walking and flying as very different complex behavior patterns only weeks after hatching provides an interesting case study in animal development. We measured the diaphyseal lengths and midshaft diameters of three wing bones (humerus, ulna, and carpometacarpus) and three leg bones (femur, tibiotarsus, and tarsometatarsus) of 79 juvenile (ages 0–42 days) and 13 adult glaucous‐winged gulls (Larus glaucescens), a semiprecocial species. From a suite of nine alternative mathematical models, we used information‐theoretic criteria to determine the best model(s) for length and diameter of each bone as a function of age; that is, we determined the model(s) that obtained the best tradeoff between the minimized sum of squared residuals and the number of parameters used to fit the model. The Janoschek and Holling III models best described bone growth, with at least one of these models yielding an R² ≥ 0.94 for every dimension except tarsometatarsus diameter (R² = 0.87). We used the best growth models to construct accurate allometric comparisons of the bones. Early maximal absolute growth rates characterize the humerus, femur, and tarsometatarsus, bones that assume adult‐type support functions relatively early during juvenile development. Leg bone lengths exhibit more rapid but less sustained relative growth than wing bone lengths. Wing bone diameters are initially smaller than leg bone diameters, although this relationship is reversed by fledging. Wing bones and the femur approach adult length by fledging but continue to increase in diameter past fledging; the tibiotarsus and tarsometatarsus approach both adult length and diameter by fledging. In short, the pattern of bone growth in this semiprecocial species reflects the changing behavioral needs of the developing organism. J. Morphol., 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 enhances bone cancer growth and bone cancer-related pain behaviors in mice

AimsNonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are a therapeutic modality for chronic cancer pain arising from bone metastases. Chronic administration of a cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor is effective to bone cancer-related pain. However, adverse cardiovascular effects have limited COX-2 inhibitor therapy, and elucidation of better targets for blocking prostaglandin (PG) biosynthesis is necessary. Microsomal PGE synthase-1 (mPGES-1) is an inducible enzyme that catalyzes isomerization of the endoperoxide PGH₂ to PGE₂. To investigate the validity of mPGES-1 as a therapeutic target, we evaluated bone cancer pain-related behaviors in mPGES-1 knockout (PGES-1?/?) mice.Main methodsLewis lung carcinoma cells (LLCCs) were injected into the intramedullary space of the femur of wild-type (WT) and PGES-1?/? mice. Pain-related behaviors were evaluated.Key findingsPGES-1?/? mice exhibited reduced tumor growth in bone marrow compared to WT. The expression of pro-calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGPR) in the dorsal root ganglia of L_1–5 was significantly higher in WT mice at day 14, whereas it was unchanged in mPGES-1 mice. In the observation of pain-related behaviors, mPGES-1?/? mice exhibited significantly fewer spontaneous flinches and their onset was several days later than WT. The appearance of other pain-related behaviors in mPGES-1?/? mice was also delayed as compared to WT. LLCC-injected WT mice treated with a COX-2 inhibitor, celecoxib, exhibited similar temporal changes to mPGES1?/?.SignificanceThe present results suggest that mPGES-1 plays a crucial role in the enhancement of bone cancer growth and bone cancer pain, and that inhibition of mPGES-1 may have clinical utility in the management of bone cancer pain.     

Extract and fraction of Musa paradisiaca flower have osteogenic effect and prevent ovariectomy induced osteopenia

BackgroundOsteoporosis is an asymptomatic bone disorder leading to altered bone microarchitecture, mineralization and strength. Musa paradisiaca has been reported to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in various diseases. Its impact on postmenopausal osteoporosis has not been investigated yet.PurposeThe intention of the current study was to evaluate the bone regeneration and osteoprotective potential of extract and fraction of M. paradisiaca flower in ovariectomized (Ovx) Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, a model of post-menopausal bone loss. The study also aims to identify osteogenic compounds from active fraction.MethodsEthanolic extract (MFE) and butanolic fraction (MFE-Bu) from flower of M. paradisiaca were prepared and their efficacy was tested in rat femur osteotomy model at different doses. Effective dose from both extract (250 mg/kg) and fraction (50 mg/kg) were taken for study in osteopenic bone loss model. PTH was taken as reference standard (20 µg/kg/twice a week). Bones were harvested at autopsy for dynamic and static histomorphometry. Serum was collected for ELISA. Pure compounds were isolated from butanolic fraction (MFE-Bu), and were assessed for their osteogenic effect.ResultsMFE and MFE-Bu were observed for their potential in bone healing and prevention of bone loss. Both MFE and MFE-Bu promoted new bone regeneration at injury site as assessed by microCT and calcein dye labeling studies. These also led to restoration of bone microarchitecture deteriorated as a result of osteopenia and improved bone biomechanical properties. Extract as well as the fraction exhibited dual bone anabolic and anti-resorptive properties where they elevated serum procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide (P1NP), a bone formation marker and suppressed serum C-telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX-1), a bone resorption marker. As many as four osteogenic compounds were isolated from MFE-Bu. Oleracein-E was found to be the most potent osteogenic agent based on osteoblast differentiation, mineralization assays, qPCR and protein expression studies.ConclusionOur studies demonstrates that ethanolic extract from the flower of M. paradisiaca and its butanolic fraction exhibit dual osteogenic and anti-resorptive potential, and have an advantage over PTH which though promotes bone formation but is also bone catabolic in nature.     

Partie 6. Amylose

Bone scintigraphy is a nuclear imaging scan using a radiopharmaceutical composed of a bisphosphonate coupled to a radionuclide (technetium 99 m). Radiopharmaceutical uptake is particularly important at the level of the bone structures having a strong osteoblastic activity. These uptakes can be due to a benign pathology (fracture, loosening of prosthesis, rheumatic pathologies, etc.) or to a malignant pathology (primary or secondary bone lesion). The high sensitivity of bone scintigraphy makes it particularly interesting at the initial stage of the pathology, especially when X-rays are normal. In addition, its specificity has clearly improved in recent years with the increasingly use of tomoscintigraphy coupled with X-ray scanning (SPECT/CT). We describe the operating principle of bone scintigraphy, normal uptakes with its variants as well as pathological uptake features in traumatic, rheumatic, prosthetic or cancerous pathologies.     

Partie 2. Orthopedie – Traumatologie

Bone scintigraphy is a nuclear imaging scan using a radiopharmaceutical composed of a bisphosphonate coupled to a radionuclide (technetium 99 m). Radiopharmaceutical uptake is particularly important at the level of the bone structures having a strong osteoblastic activity. These uptakes can be due to a benign pathology (fracture, loosening of prosthesis, rheumatic pathologies, etc.) or to a malignant pathology (primary or secondary bone lesion). The high sensitivity of bone scintigraphy makes it particularly interesting at the initial stage of the pathology, especially when x-rays are normal. In addition, its specificity has clearly improved in recent years with the increasingly use of tomoscintigraphy coupled with X-ray scanning (SPECT/CT). We describe the operating principle of bone scintigraphy, normal uptakes with its variants as well as pathological uptake features in traumatic, rheumatic, prosthetic or cancerous pathologies.     

Partie 5. Pathologies tumorales

Bone scintigraphy is a nuclear imaging scan using a radiopharmaceutical composed of a bisphosphonate coupled to a radionuclide (technetium 99 m). Radiopharmaceutical uptake is particularly important at the level of the bone structures having a strong osteoblastic activity. These uptakes can be due to a benign pathology (fracture, loosening of prosthesis, rheumatic pathologies, etc.) or to a malignant pathology (primary or secondary bone lesion). The high sensitivity of bone scintigraphy makes it particularly interesting at the initial stage of the pathology, especially when X-rays are normal. In addition, its specificity has clearly improved in recent years with the increasingly use of tomoscintigraphy coupled with X-ray scanning (SPECT/CT). We describe the operating principle of bone scintigraphy, normal uptakes with its variants as well as pathological uptake features in traumatic, rheumatic, prosthetic or cancerous pathologies.     

An in vitro mouse model of congenital cytomegalovirus‐induced pathogenesis of the inner ear cochlea

Congenital human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is the leading nongenetic etiology of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) at birth and prelingual SNHL not expressed at birth. The paucity of temporal bone autopsy specimens from infants with congenital CMV infection has hindered the critical correlation of histopathology with pathogenesis. Here, we present an in vitro embryonic mouse model of CMV‐infected cochleas that mimics the human sites of viral infection and associated pathology. There is a striking dysplasia/hyperplasia in mouse CMV‐infected cochlear epithelium and mesenchyme, including organ of Corti hair and supporting cells and stria vascularis. This is concomitant with significant dysregulation of p19, p21, p27, and Pcna gene expression, as well as proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) protein expression. Other pathologies similar to those arising from known deafness gene mutations include downregulation of KCNQ1 protein expression in the stria vascularis, as well as hypoplastic and dysmorphic melanocytes. Thus, this model provides a relevant and reliable platform within which the detailed cell and molecular biology of CMV‐induced deafness may be studied. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Longitudinal Evaluation of Mouse Hind Limb Bone Loss After Spinal Cord Injury using Novel,in vivo,Methodology

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is often accompanied by osteoporosis in the sublesional regions of the pelvis and lower extremities, leading to a higher frequency of fractures ¹. As these fractures often occur in regions that have lost normal sensory function, the patient is at a greater risk of fracture-dependent pathologies, including death. SCI-dependent loss in both bone mineral density (BMD, grams/cm²) and bone mineral content (BMC, grams) has been attributed to mechanical disuse ², aberrant neuronal signaling ³ and hormonal changes ⁴. The use of rodent models of SCI-induced osteoporosis can provide invaluable information regarding the mechanisms underlying the development of osteoporosis following SCI as well as a test environment for the generation of new therapies ^5-7 (and reviewed in ⁸). Mouse models of SCI are of great interest as they permit a reductionist approach to mechanism-based assessment through the use of null and transgenic mice. While such models have provided important data, there is still a need for minimally-invasive, reliable, reproducible, and quantifiable methods in determining the extent of bone loss following SCI, particularly over time and within the same cohort of experimental animals, to improve diagnosis, treatment methods, and/or prevention of SCI-induced osteoporosis.An ideal method for measuring bone density in rodents would allow multiple, sequential (over time) exposures to low-levels of X-ray radiation. This study describes the use of a new whole-animal scanner, the IVIS Lumina XR (Caliper Instruments) that can be used to provide low-energy (1-3 milligray (mGy)) high-resolution, high-magnification X-ray images of mouse hind limb bones over time following SCI. Significant bone density loss was seen in the tibiae of mice by 10 days post-spinal transection when compared to uninjured, age-matched control (naïve) mice (13% decrease, p<0.0005). Loss of bone density in the distal femur was also detectable by day 10 post-SCI, while a loss of density in the proximal femur was not detectable until 40 days post injury (7% decrease, p<0.05). SCI-dependent loss of mouse femur density was confirmed post-mortem through the use of Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA), the current "gold standard" for bone density measurements. We detect a 12% loss of BMC in the femurs of mice at 40 days post-SCI using the IVIS Lumina XR. This compares favorably with a previously reported BMC loss of 13.5% by Picard and colleagues who used DXA analysis on mouse femurs post-mortem 30 days post-SCI ⁹. Our results suggest that the IVIS Lumina XR provides a novel, high-resolution/high-magnification method for performing long-term, longitudinal measurements of hind limb bone density in the mouse following SCI.     

Ontogenetic change of bone microstructures and its ethological implication in Champsosaurus (Diapsida,Choristodera)

Compact cortex in a Champsosaurus (Diapsida, Choristodera) femur is ontogenetically replaced with extensively developed cancellous bone. This histological shift, together with retention of calcified cartilage to late ontogenetic stage, was previously considered to show that adult champsosaurs were more adapted to aquatic environments than juveniles. However, the new histological examination reveals the nearly amedullar condition of a juvenile femur consisting of thick periosteal cortex and less cancellous bone tissue and the amedullar but more porous condition of adult femora. This likely demonstrates that the femoral inner structure of the juvenile is denser than those of the adults, and therefore, juveniles were more aquatic. It is suggested that morphological variations between two sympatric species of Champsosaurus reflect sexual dimorphism in a single species and limb bones with more robust morphology, showing better terrestrial adaptation for nesting on land, belong to females. The similarity of gross limb bone morphology between juveniles and inferred adult males indicates aquatic habitats for juveniles, coincident with the new interpretation of bone microstructures. No differences are, however, recognised in femoral microstructure between inferred sexes in adults. The possibly lowered density of femur in adults is considered as an adaptation to increase the mobility in water.     

Comparison of mandibular bone mineral density in osteoporotic, osteopenic and normal elderly edentulous subjects measured by the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry technique

doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2012.00625.x Comparison of mandibular bone mineral density in osteoporotic, osteopenic and normal elderly edentulous subjects measured by the dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry technique Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the mandibular body bone mineral density according to bone mineral density status of spine and femur measured by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) technique in elderly edentulous individuals. Background: One of the factors that affect the survival rate of implants is bone mineral density (BMD) of the jaws. Materials and methods: Fifty edentulous elderly patients’ (27 women and 23 men) spine, femur and the mandibular body BMDs were measured using DXA technique. BMD scans of the AP lumbar spine (L2–L3) and femur were classified using World Health Organisation criteria for bone mass. Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the normal femur group’s–osteoporosis group’s mandibular body BMD (p = 0.001) and femoral osteopaenia group’s–osteoporosis group’s mandibular body BMD (p < 0.001). The femoral osteoporosis group’s mandibular body BMDs were lower than those of both the normal femoral and the femoral osteopaenia group subjects’. Conclusion: Classification of edentulous mandibles according to low and high bone mineral densities is a problem in implant dentistry. The results of this study demonstrated that femoral bone mineral density status may be used to provide preliminary information about the bone mineral density of the mandibular body region in elderly edentulous subjects.     

A diseased Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss 1810) lioness from a forest elephant graveyard in the Late Pleistocene (Eemian) interglacial lake at Neumark-Nord,central Germany

A solitary articulated skeleton of a middle-aged and diseased Panthera leo spelaea lioness from the Eemian interglacial has been found amongst numerous articulated skeletons of Palaeoloxodon antiquus forest elephants, in sediments from a small, shallow lake at Neumark-Nord in central Germany, which has Neanderthal settlements along its shoreline. Several pathologies such as a fibula fracture, arthritis in one of the front legs and a lost canine tooth with associated maxillary inflammation and dissolution made the lioness vulnerable to other predators such as hyenas, whose presence is indicated by their bones, coprolites and many scavenging marks on the elephant skeletons and on a femur from a male lion. The scavenging of hyenas and lions at this site is commonly documented by canine bite marks on the joints of elephant bones. Bite and scratch marks on the ventral vertebral columns and pelvises of two P. antiquus forest elephant skeletons suggest that the intestines and inner organs may have been consumed by large predators, as is commonly the case with modern African lions feeding on elephants. The weak and diseased lioness may possibly have been killed during antagonistic battles between hyenas and lions over their larger prey.