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Whole body bone resorption in the growing pig
A M Bollen1, K J McCulloch, S W Herring
1Department of Orthodontics, University of Washington, Seattle 98195, USA.
Growth, Development, and Aging : GDA
|April 18, 1998
Summary
A collagen type I N-telopeptide crosslinks (NTx) assay can measure bone resorption in pigs. This method detected increased bone resorption caused by orthodontic appliances, showing its sensitivity in growing animals.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical research
- Animal models
- Skeletal biology
Background:
- Assessing whole-body bone resorption in growing animals is challenging.
- Existing bone resorption assays are often human-specific.
- Understanding bone turnover during growth is crucial for skeletal health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate a human bone resorption assay for use in young pigs.
- To determine if the assay can detect changes in bone resorption due to orthodontic appliances.
- To quantify daily bone resorption in growing pigs.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a commercially available NTx immunoassay, originally for human urine.
- Collected 24-hour urine samples from pigs housed in metabolic cages.
- Analyzed pig bone and urine, cross-calibrated to human standards for NTx quantification.
- Administered orthodontic appliances to a subset of pigs.
Main Results:
- The NTx assay successfully measured bone resorption in pigs.
- Daily bone resorption ranged from 26-46 grams (1.2-1.7% of skeletal mass).
- Orthodontic appliances significantly increased bone resorption within two weeks.
Conclusions:
- The NTx assay is a viable tool for measuring bone resorption in pigs.
- The assay is sensitive to changes induced by orthodontic interventions.
- Daily bone resorption in growing pigs is highly variable but averages 1.4% of skeletal mass.