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Mechanical Loading Attenuates Radiation-Induced Bone Loss in Bone Marrow Transplanted Mice
Peter M Govey1,2, Yue Zhang1,3, Henry J Donahue1,2,4,3
1Division of Musculoskeletal Sciences, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States of America.
Plos One
|December 10, 2016
Summary
Mechanical loading can help mitigate bone loss and fracture risk after radiation exposure. This study shows that mechanical stimulation can promote bone health in irradiated bone, offering new insights for patient management.
Area of Science:
- Bone Biology
- Radiation Oncology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Ionizing radiation exposure, from radiotherapy or space travel, causes significant bone loss and increases fracture risk.
- Radiation disrupts bone turnover by increasing osteoclastic resorption and decreasing osteoblastic formation due to osteoprogenitor depletion.
- The capacity of irradiated bone to respond to mechanical stimuli remains poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether mechanical compression loading can attenuate bone loss in an irradiated mouse model.
- To determine if mechanical loading influences donor cell engraftment and proliferation in irradiated bone marrow transplant recipients.
- To assess the anabolic response of irradiated cortical and trabecular bone to mechanical loading.
Main Methods:
- A mouse model simulating hematologic cancer treatment involved lethal total body irradiation (10.75 Gy) followed by bone marrow transplantation.
- Experimental group: 10 mice received 3 weeks of tibial compression loading (1200 cycles/week, 10 N) post-irradiation and transplantation.
- Control group: 6 mice received irradiation and transplantation without mechanical loading.
Main Results:
- Irradiated bones exhibited significant loss of trabecular bone (-48.2%) and cortical thickness (-8.3%).
- Mechanical loading significantly attenuated bone loss, reducing trabecular bone volume loss by 31% and cortical thickness loss by 8% (p<0.001).
- Loaded bones showed improved trabecular thickness and tissue mineral density; mechanical loading did not impact donor cell engraftment.
Conclusions:
- High-dose therapeutic radiation does not eliminate the capacity of cortical and trabecular bone to respond anabolically to mechanical loading.
- Mechanical loading is a viable strategy to mitigate radiation-induced bone morbidity and preserve bone health.
- These findings have implications for managing bone health in patients undergoing radiotherapy or individuals exposed to radiation.
