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Exercise Regulation of Marrow Adipose Tissue
Gabriel M Pagnotti1, Maya Styner2
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University , Stony Brook, NY , USA.
Frontiers in Endocrinology
|July 30, 2016
Summary
Exercise effectively suppresses marrow adipose tissue (MAT) and promotes bone formation, even when counteracting the negative effects of medications like rosiglitazone. This highlights exercise as a key strategy for bone health.
Area of Science:
- Bone Biology and Metabolism
- Adipose Tissue Physiology
- Stem Cell Lineage Commitment
Background:
- Marrow adipose tissue (MAT) is linked to low bone density and fractures, yet its physiology is poorly understood.
- MAT originates from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), the same pool that generates osteoblasts, suggesting a lineage competition.
- Existing theories propose that preferential MSC differentiation into adipocytes, rather than osteoblasts, contributes to reduced bone formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the physiological regulation of MAT under various interventions, including exercise, diet, and pharmacologic agents.
- To explore the relationship between exercise, MAT volume, and bone formation.
- To assess exercise's ability to mitigate the adverse skeletal effects of rosiglitazone-induced MAT accumulation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized osmium-based 3D quantification for reproducible MAT assessment.
- Investigated the effects of high-fat diet and daily exercise on MAT volume in vivo.
- Examined the impact of rosiglitazone treatment on MAT and bone volume, and the combined effects with exercise intervention.
Main Results:
- High-fat diet elevated MAT, while daily exercise suppressed it, demonstrating a robust response to intervention.
- Exercise-induced bone formation correlated with MAT suppression, suggesting exercise influences MSC lineage commitment.
- Rosiglitazone significantly increased femur MAT volume, but concurrent exercise intervention effectively lowered MAT and increased trabecular bone volume, unimpeded by the drug.
Conclusions:
- Exercise is a potent regulator of bone remodeling, capable of suppressing MAT accumulation and promoting osteogenic differentiation of MSCs.
- Exercise can counteract the detrimental effects of both dietary excess and pharmacologic agents like rosiglitazone on bone health.
- Exercise represents a viable strategy to mitigate bone loss associated with increased marrow adiposity and iatrogenic factors.
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