Lactating Ctcgrp nulls lose twice the normal bone mineral content due to fewer osteoblasts and more osteoclasts, whereas bone mass is fully restored after weaning in association with up-regulation of Wnt signaling and other novel genes.

ABSTRACT: The maternal skeleton resorbs during lactation to provide calcium to milk and the lost mineral content is restored after weaning. The changes are particularly marked in Ctcgrp null mice, which lose 50% of spine mineral content during lactation but restore it fully. The known calciotropic hormones are not required for skeletal recovery to occur; therefore, unknown factors that stimulate bone formation may be responsible. We hypothesized that the genes responsible for regulating postweaning bone formation are differentially regulated in bone or marrow, and this regulation may be more marked in Ctcgrp null mice. We confirmed that Ctcgrp null mice had twice as many osteoclasts and 30-40% fewer osteoblasts as compared with wild-type mice during lactation but no deficit in osteoblast numbers aft

SUBMITTER: Collins JN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3678150 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature