Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 1, 2026
08:53
Drug Treatment and In Vivo Imaging of Osteoblast-Osteoclast Interactions in a Medaka Fish Osteoporosis Model
Published on: January 1, 2017
9.6K
Calcium relieves fluoride-induced bone damage through the PI3K/AKT pathway
Jinming Wang1, Huimiao Xu, Xiaofang Cheng
1College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, Shanxi, PR China.
Food & Function
|December 25, 2019
Summary
Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) supplementation mitigates sodium fluoride (NaF)-induced bone damage by regulating the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway. This study reveals a novel mechanism for alleviating bone fluorosis.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Toxicology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Bone fluorosis, a condition caused by excessive fluoride intake, primarily affects bone health.
- While calcium (Ca) is known to alleviate bone fluorosis, the underlying molecular mechanisms, particularly involving the PI3K/AKT pathway, remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in mitigating fluoride-induced bone damage.
- To elucidate the involvement of the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway in CaCO3's protective effects against fluorosis.
Main Methods:
- Rats were treated with sodium fluoride (NaF) and/or CaCO3 for 120 days.
- Histopathological examination of bone tissue was performed.
- Biochemical markers of bone metabolism and gene expression levels related to the PI3K/AKT pathway were analyzed using qRT-PCR and Western blotting.
Main Results:
- NaF treatment induced bone histopathological injury, altered bone metabolism markers (increased alkaline phosphatase and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase, decreased serum Ca), and activated the PI3K/AKT pathway by modulating key gene expressions.
- CaCO3 supplementation reversed NaF-induced histopathological changes and normalized biochemical markers.
- CaCO3 alleviated the activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway by reversing the expression changes of its related genes.
Conclusions:
- CaCO3 supplementation effectively mitigates fluoride-induced bone damage in rats.
- The protective effect of CaCO3 is mediated through the regulation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, highlighting a novel therapeutic mechanism for bone fluorosis.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Hormones and Bone Tissue
3.6K
The endocrine system produces and secretes hormones, which interact with the skeletal system. These hormones control bone growth, maintain bone once it is formed, and remodel it.
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
3.6K
01:31Essential Minerals for Bone Health
5.8K
The minerals contained in all of the food we consume are essential for our organ systems. However, certain essential minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, and fluoride, largely affect bone health.
Calcium and Phosphorus
Calcium is a critical component of bones, especially in the form of calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. Since the body cannot make calcium, it must be obtained from the diet. However, calcium cannot be absorbed from the small intestine without...
Calcium and Phosphorus
Calcium is a critical component of bones, especially in the form of calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. Since the body cannot make calcium, it must be obtained from the diet. However, calcium cannot be absorbed from the small intestine without...
5.8K
01:27Roles of Electrolytes: Calcium and Phosphate
1.0K
Calcium and phosphate are essential electrolytes in the human body, with calcium being the most abundant mineral. Around 99% of the body's calcium is stored in the skeleton and teeth, forming a crystal lattice of mineral salts in combination with phosphates. Calcium plays crucial roles in various bodily functions such as blood clotting, neurotransmitter release, muscle tone maintenance, and nervous and muscle tissue excitability.
The calcium concentration in blood plasma is primarily...
The calcium concentration in blood plasma is primarily...
1.0K
01:21Skeleton and Calcium Homeostasis
5.6K
Calcium is not only the most abundant mineral in bone but also the most abundant mineral in the human body. Calcium ions are needed for bone mineralization, tooth health, heart rate regulation and strength of contraction, blood coagulation, the contraction of smooth and skeletal muscle cells, and the regulation of nerve impulse conduction. The average calcium level in the blood is about 10 mg/dL. When the body cannot maintain this level, a person will experience hypo or hypercalcemia.
5.6K
01:40Bone Remodeling
40.1K
Bone remodeling is a continuous and balanced process of bone resorption by osteoclasts and bone formation by osteoblasts. In adults, it helps maintain bone mass and calcium homeostasis. While mechanical stress can stimulate turnover as part of the normal maintenance and reparative process, several hormones also regulate bone remodeling.
40.1K
01:16Calmodulin-dependent Signaling
5.9K
Calmodulin (CaM) is a calcium-binding protein in eukaryotes that controls various calcium-regulated cellular processes. It has four calcium-binding sites that bind calcium to form the calcium-calmodulin ( Ca2+-CaM) complex. GPCR stimulation increases the calcium levels in the cells that bind to CaM and induces a conformational change.
The Ca2+-CaM complex does not have enzymatic activity by itself. Instead, the complex binds downstream target proteins, including membrane proteins or enzymes,...
The Ca2+-CaM complex does not have enzymatic activity by itself. Instead, the complex binds downstream target proteins, including membrane proteins or enzymes,...
5.9K