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Updated: Dec 9, 2025

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Published on: July 31, 2019
Warmth Prevents Bone Loss Through the Gut Microbiota.
Claire Chevalier1, Silas Kieser1, Melis Çolakoğlu1
1Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Centre Médical Universitaire (CMU), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; Diabetes Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
Warmth exposure protects against osteoporosis by improving bone density and strength. This effect is mediated by gut microbiota and enhanced polyamine production, suggesting warmth as a potential therapeutic strategy.
Area of Science:
- Metabolic bone disease research
- Microbiome and bone health
- Therapeutic hypothermia/thermogenesis
Background:
- Osteoporosis is a prevalent metabolic bone disease marked by low bone mass and deteriorated bone microarchitecture.
- Current treatments for osteoporosis have limitations, necessitating novel therapeutic approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the protective effects of warmth exposure on bone loss induced by ovariectomy in mice.
- To elucidate the mechanisms underlying warmth-induced bone protection, including the role of the gut microbiota and polyamine metabolism.
Main Methods:
- Ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis model in adult female and young male mice with warmth exposure (34°C).
- Fecal microbiota transplantation from warm-adapted mice to recipient mice.
- Transcriptomic analysis of tibial tissue.
- Metagenomic and metabolomic analyses to assess gut microbiota composition and metabolites.
- Supplementation with polyamines (spermine, spermidine) and inhibition of polyamine biosynthesis.
Main Results:
- Warmth exposure significantly increased trabecular bone volume, connectivity density, and thickness, enhancing biomechanical bone strength.
- Warm microbiota transplantation replicated the bone-protective effects of warmth exposure.
- Warmth and warm microbiota transplantation reversed ovariectomy-induced transcriptomic changes and increased periosteal bone formation.
- Warmth exposure enhanced bacterial polyamine biosynthesis, leading to elevated in vivo polyamine levels. Polyamines (spermine, spermidine) supplementation increased bone strength, while inhibition of their synthesis diminished warmth's benefits.
Conclusions:
- Warmth exposure (34°C) offers a protective effect against ovariectomy-induced bone loss in mice, improving bone structure and strength.
- The gut microbiota and enhanced polyamine biosynthesis are key mediators of warmth's beneficial effects on bone.
- Warmth exposure presents a potential therapeutic strategy for osteoporosis, with polyamine metabolism offering a mechanistic target.
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