Skeletal Muscle Contraction Reduces Effects of Unloading on Bone Independently from the Central Nervous System: Studies Using Functional Electrical Stimulation after Spinal Cord Transection

ABSTRACT: Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes severe bone loss and disrupts connections between higher centers in the central nervous system (CNS) and bone. Muscle contraction elicited by functional electrical stimulation (FES) partially protects against loss of bone but cellular and molecular events by which this occurs are unknown. Here, using a rat model, we characterized effects of 7 days of contraction-induced loading of tibia and fibula due to FES when begun 16 weeks after SCI. SCI reduced tibial and femoral BMD by 12-17% and promoted bone resorption, as indicated by increased serum CTX; SCI-related changes in CTX were reversed by FES. In cultures of bone marrow cell-derived cells, SCI increased the number of osteoclasts and mRNA levels of the several osteoclast differentiation markers; these ch

ORGANISM(S): Rattus norvegicus

SUBMITTER: Weiping Qin 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-30301 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress