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Glucocorticoids reduce alveolar and trabecular bone in mice
Béatrice Bouvard1, Yves Gallois, Erick Legrand
1Inserm, U922, LHEA, IRIS-IBM, institut de biologie en santé, CHU d'Angers, 4, rue Larrey, 49933 Angers cedex, France. bebouvard@chu-angers.fr
Joint Bone Spine
|February 28, 2012
Summary
Glucocorticoids (GCs) cause significant alveolar bone loss and decrease bone formation in the tibia in mice. This study demonstrates GCs induce bone loss in the jaw, similar to effects seen in limb and spine bones.
Area of Science:
- Osteoporosis Research
- Endocrinology
- Periodontology
Background:
- Glucocorticoid (GC) treatment is a primary cause of secondary osteoporosis.
- The relationship between alveolar bone loss and systemic bone loss remains debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the parallel effects of GCs on alveolar bone and tibial bone in a mouse model.
- To clarify the impact of long-term GC use on oral bone health.
Main Methods:
- Five-month-old male Swiss-Webster mice received daily prednisolone (5 mg/kg/day) or control pellets for 28 days.
- Histomorphometry and microcomputed tomography analyzed tibia and hemimandible bone.
- Alveolar bone thickness and bone volume were measured via specific sectioning techniques.
Main Results:
- GC treatment significantly reduced alveolar bone thickness and bone volume (P<0.05).
- GCs decreased bone formation in the tibia, evidenced by reduced mineral apposition rate and bone formation rate.
- Significant decreases in bone volume fraction (BV/TV) and trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) were observed in the tibia.
Conclusions:
- Glucocorticoids induce alveolar bone loss, even with a low baseline amount of bone in mice.
- The findings support that long-term GC administration negatively impacts both systemic and oral bone.
