Macrophage migration inhibitory factor-deficient mice are resistant to ovariectomy-induced bone loss
Shigeki Oshima1, Shin Onodera, Norio Amizuka
1Department of Orthopaedics, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Kita-15, Nishi-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
Abstract:
A link between macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and estrogen has recently emerged. We examined the involvement of MIF in osteoporotic changes in bone after ovariectomy (OVX), and revealed that MIF-deficient mice (MIF-KO) were completely protected from this phenomenon. The increase in osteoclast number per bone surface and serum IL-1beta levels, which were observed in wild-type mice after OVX, did not occur in MIF KO. Our data suggest that MIF plays an important role in the pathogenesis of postmenopausal osteoporosis, and could be a novel target for the treatment of this disease.
