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Oxytocin and bone.

Graziana Colaianni1, Li Sun2, Mone Zaidi2

  • 1Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari, Bari, Italy; and graziana.colaianni@libero.it.

American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology
|September 12, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The pituitary hormone oxytocin (OT) directly regulates bone mass by acting on bone cells. Estrogen enhances bone formation via an oxytocin receptor-dependent pathway, suggesting OT as a potential osteoporosis treatment.

Keywords:
boneestrogenhormonesosteoporosisoxytocin

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Area of Science:

  • Skeletal Physiology
  • Endocrinology
  • Bone Biology

Background:

  • The pituitary-bone axis is crucial for skeletal physiology.
  • Oxytocin (OT), a posterior pituitary hormone, traditionally linked to parturition and breastfeeding, has emerged as a key regulator of bone mass.
  • Osteoblasts and osteoclasts express oxytocin receptors (OTR).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of oxytocin (OT) in bone mass regulation.
  • To elucidate the mechanism by which OT influences bone formation and resorption.
  • To explore the interaction between OT, estrogen, and bone metabolism.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of mice deficient in OT or OTR.
  • Assessment of bone formation and resorption markers.
  • Investigation of OT production in bone marrow osteoblasts.
  • Evaluation of estrogen's effect on bone in the presence and absence of OTR.

Main Results:

  • Mice lacking OT or OTR exhibited significantly impaired bone formation.
  • OT deficiency did not affect bone resorption, despite OT's role in osteoclast genesis and function.
  • Bone marrow osteoblasts produce OT, acting as a paracrine-autocrine regulator.
  • Estrogen's bone-anabolic effect is dependent on OTR; OTR(-/-) mice did not respond to estrogen treatment.

Conclusions:

  • Oxytocin (OT) exerts an anabolic action on bone mass.
  • OT enhances estrogen's bone-forming effects through an autocrine circuit involving bone marrow osteoblasts.
  • OT plays a vital role in maintaining skeletal integrity, presenting potential therapeutic applications for osteoporosis.