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Li C, Li Y, Wang W, Scimeca M, Melino G, Du R, Shi Y. Deer antlers: the fastest growing tissue with least cancer occurrence. Cell Death Differ 2023; 30:2452-2461. [PMID: 37864097 PMCID: PMC10733395 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-023-01231-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Deer antlers are a bony organ solely able to acquired distinct unique attributes during evolution and all these attributes are against thus far known natural rules. One of them is as the fastest animal growing tissue (2 cm/day), they are remarkably cancer-free, despite high cell division rate. Although tumor-like nodules on the long-lived castrate antlers in some deer species do occur, but they are truly benign in nature. In this review, we tried to find the answer to this seemingly contradictory phenomenon based on the currently available information and give insights into possible clinic application. The antler growth center is located in its tip; the most intensive dividing cells are resident in the inner layer of reserve mesenchyme (RM), and these cells are more adopted to osteosarcoma rather than to normal bone tissues in gene expression profiles but acquire their energy mainly through aerobic oxidative phosphorylation pathway. To counteract propensity of neoplastic transformation, antlers evolved highly efficient apoptosis exactly in the RM, unparalleled by any known tissues; and annual wholesale cast to jettison the corps. Besides, some strong cancer suppressive genes including p53 cofactor genes and p53 regulator genes are highly positively selected by deer, which would have certainly contributed to curb tumorigenesis. Thus far, antler extracts and RM cells/exosomes have been tried on different cancer models either in vitro or in vivo, and all achieved positive results. These positive experimental results together with the anecdotal folklore that regular consumption of velvet antler is living with cancer-free would encourage us to test antlers in clinic settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyi Li
- Institute of Antler Science and Product Technology, Changchun Sci-Tech University, Changchun, China
| | - Yan Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Wenying Wang
- Institute of Antler Science and Product Technology, Changchun Sci-Tech University, Changchun, China
| | - Manuel Scimeca
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Gerry Melino
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.
| | - Rui Du
- College of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China.
| | - Yufang Shi
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University/The First People's Hospital of Changzhou, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Institutes for Translational Medicine, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
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2
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Marliani G, Gelli D, Bellinello E, Costantin RS, Nicoloso S, Accorsi PA, Vaglio S. Effects of pharmacological castration on endocrinological and chemical profiles in captive red and fallow deer. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2023.2190351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- G. Marliani
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bologna, Ozzano Emilia, Italy
- Animal Behaviour & Wildlife Conservation Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, UK
| | - D. Gelli
- Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padua, Legnaro, Italy
| | - E. Bellinello
- Azienda USL Bologna, Sanità Pubblica veterinaria, Vergato, Italy
| | | | | | - P. A. Accorsi
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bologna, Ozzano Emilia, Italy
| | - S. Vaglio
- Animal Behaviour & Wildlife Conservation Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, UK
- University College–The Castle, Durham University, Durham, UK
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3
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Concentration of Macroelements and Trace Elements in Farmed Fallow Deer Antlers Depending on Age. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12233409. [PMID: 36496930 PMCID: PMC9737350 DOI: 10.3390/ani12233409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The mineral content of the antlers reflects the nutritional status and specific stage of bone growth in cervid males. Therefore, this research aimed to analyze the concentration of Ca, P, Mg, K, Na, Li, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, Se and Mo in three characteristic antler positions selected based on the observation of fights between males. These were compared between farmed fallow deer (Dama dama) of different ages. The mineral compositions of tissues were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The highest mean concentrations of macroelements (except K) were recorded in the youngest animals aged 2 or 3 years in the proximal position of the antlers. With age and distance from the skull, Ca, P, Mg and Na contents decreased, while K increased. Higher mean concentrations of most trace elements (Cr, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn) were recorded in 3-year-old animals in antler distal positions. With an increase in the age, body mass and antler mass of fallow deer, the concentration of Ca, P, Mg, K, Mn, Cu and Zn decreased (−0.414 ≤ R ≤ −0.737, p < 0.05) in the studied tissue, whereas Li increased (0.470 ≤ R ≤ 0.681, p < 0.05). The obtained results confirm that the antlers’ chemical composition changes with age, also changing the Ca:P ratio.
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4
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Foster A, Wight A. Reindeer health and welfare. Vet Rec 2022; 191:453-455. [DOI: 10.1002/vetr.2509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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Kierdorf U, Schultz M, Kierdorf H. The consequences of living longer-Effects of an experimentally extended velvet antler phase on the histomorphology of antler bone in fallow deer (Dama dama). J Anat 2021; 239:1104-1113. [PMID: 34169521 PMCID: PMC8546508 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Antlers are periodically regenerated paired cranial appendages of male deer (both sexes in reindeer) that constitute the fastest‐growing bones in the animal kingdom. The annual antler cycle of male deer is linked to testicular activity and largely controlled by seasonal fluctuations of testosterone concentrations in their blood. We studied the effects of an experimental doubling (to eight months) of the velvet antler phase, during which the antlers are covered by skin (velvet), on the histomorphology of antler bone in three adult fallow bucks. Extension of the velvet antler phase in the experimental animals had been caused by administration of the antiandrogen cyproterone acetate (CPA). The distal portions of the antlers from two of the CPA‐treated bucks exhibited partial sequestration of the antler cortex, with the separation plane typically located along the border between cortex and spongiosa. It is hypothesized that this was caused by cortical necrosis due to severe ischemia during later stages of the extended velvet antler phase. In places, new cancellous bone had been deposited on the resorption surface of the spongiosa, indicating a regeneration process. Normal fallow deer antlers (“controls”) from this and a previous study, that is, antlers with a timespan of about four months between onset of new antler growth and velvet shedding, exhibited no or only minor bone remodeling and still contained remnants of calcified cartilage in their distal portions. In contrast, the antlers of the three CPA‐treated bucks showed evidence (secondary osteons and resorption cavities) of marked bone remodeling along their entire length and lacked remnants of calcified cartilage. Our results underscore that the typical histological features of antler bone reflect its short‐lived nature. Antlers are not mechanically loaded during the velvet stage, and it is presently unclear what triggered remodeling activity in the antlers whose lifespan had been experimentally extended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uwe Kierdorf
- Department of Biology, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany
| | - Michael Schultz
- Department of Biology, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany.,Department of Anatomy and Embryology, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Horst Kierdorf
- Department of Biology, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany
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Akhtar RW, Liu Z, Wang D, Ba H, Shah SAH, Li C. Identification of proteins that mediate the role of androgens in antler regeneration using label free proteomics in sika deer (Cervus nippon). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 283:113235. [PMID: 31369730 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.113235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2019] [Revised: 07/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Deer antlers offer a unique model to study organ regeneration in mammals. Antler regeneration relies on the pedicle periosteum (PP) cells and is triggered by a decrease in circulating testosterone (T). The molecular mechanism for antler regeneration is however, unclear. Label-free liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to identify differentially-expressed proteins (DEPs) in the regeneration-potentiated PP (under low T environment) over the non-regeneration-potentiated PP (under high T environment). Out of total 273 DEPs, 189 were significantly up-regulated and 84 were down-regulated from these comparisons: after castration vs before castration, natural T vs before castration, and exogenous T vs before castration. We focused on the analysis only of those DEPs that were present in fully permissive environment to antler regeneration (low T). Nine transduction pathways were identified through the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database, including the estrogen signaling pathway. A total of 639 gene ontology terms were found to be significantly enriched in regeneration-potentiated PP (low T) from the DEPs. Reliability of the label free LC-MS/MS was determined by qRT-PCR to estimate the expression level of selected genes. The results suggest that up-regulated heat shock proteins (HSP90AB1, HSP90B1), peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase 4 (FKBP4), mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 (MAPK3) and calreticulin (CALR) and down-regulated SHC-transforming protein 1 (SHC1), heat shock protein family A member 1A (HSPA1A) and proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase (SRC) may be associated directly or indirectly with antler regeneration. Further studies are required to investigate the roles of these proteins in regeneration using appropriate in vivo models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana Waseem Akhtar
- Institute of Special Wild Economic Animals and Plants, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130112, China
| | - Zhen Liu
- Institute of Special Wild Economic Animals and Plants, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130112, China
| | - Datao Wang
- Institute of Special Wild Economic Animals and Plants, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130112, China.
| | - Hengxing Ba
- Institute of Special Wild Economic Animals and Plants, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130112, China; State Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Special Economic Animals, Changchun 130112, China.
| | - Syed Aftab Hussain Shah
- Pakistan Scientific & Technological Information Centre (PASTIC), Quaid-i-Azam University Campus, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Chunyi Li
- Institute of Special Wild Economic Animals and Plants, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130112, China; State Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Special Economic Animals, Changchun 130112, China; Changchun Sci-Tech University, Changchun, China.
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7
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The Regulatory Mechanism of MLT/MT1 Signaling on the Growth of Antler Mesenchymal Cells. Molecules 2017; 22:molecules22101793. [PMID: 29065543 PMCID: PMC6151843 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22101793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Melatonin (MLT) plays an important role in regulating the physiological cycle of seasonal breeding animals. Melatonin receptor I (MT1) is effectively expressed in the cambium layer of deer antler. However, the function and metabolic mechanism of MLT/MT1 signaling in the mesenchymal cells of sika deer remain to be further elucidated. In this work, we detected the effects of MLT/MT1 signaling on mesenchymal cells proliferation and the interaction between MLT/MT1 and IGF1/IGF1-R signaling. The results show that (1) deer antler mesenchymal cells actually express MT1; (2) exogenous melatonin significantly promotes mesenchymal cells proliferation, while MT1 knock-down significantly impairs the positive effects of melatonin; and (3) melatonin significantly enhanced IGF1/IGF1-R signaling, as both the expression of IGF1 and IGF-1R increased, while MT1 knock-down significantly decreased IGF1-R expression and IGF1 synthesis. In summary, these data verified that MLT/MT1 signaling plays a crucial role in antler mesenchymal proliferation, which may be mediated by IGF1/IGF1-R.
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8
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Kierdorf U, Miller KV, Flohr S, Gomez S, Kierdorf H. Multiple osteochondromas of the antlers and cranium in a free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). PLoS One 2017; 12:e0173775. [PMID: 28296944 PMCID: PMC5351974 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper reports a case of multiple osteochondromas affecting the antlers and the left zygomatic bone of a free-ranging adult white-tailed buck (Odocoileus virginianus) from Georgia, USA. Along with a few postcranial bones, the antlered cranium of the individual was found in a severely weathered condition and devoid of any soft tissue. The antlers exhibited five pedunculated exostoses that were composed of cancellous bone and, in their peripheral portions, also mineralized cartilage. The largest of the exostoses, located on the right antler, had a maximum circumference of 55 cm. The exostosis arising from the zygomatic bone was broad-based and much smaller than the exophytic outgrowths on the antlers. Diagnosis of the exostoses as osteochondromas was based on their overall morphology, the normal bone structure in their stalk regions, and the continuity of their spongiosa and cortex with the respective components of the parent bones. Antleromas, i.e., pathological outgrowths developing on antlers as a result of insufficient androgen production, were excluded in the differential diagnosis, based on (1) the apparent maturity and, except for the tumors, normal shape of the antlers and (2) the fact that exostosis formation had also affected the zygomatic bone. Previously only a single case of solitary osteochondroma of an antler has been described in the scientific literature. The case presented here is the first report of multiple osteochondromas in a deer. As antlers are regularly collected as trophies, and huge numbers of them are critically inspected each year, the fact that thus far only two cases of antler osteochondromas have been reported suggests that these tumors are very rare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uwe Kierdorf
- Department of Biology, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany
| | - Karl V. Miller
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, United States of America
| | - Stefan Flohr
- Department of Biology, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany
| | - Santiago Gomez
- Department of Pathological Anatomy, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Horst Kierdorf
- Department of Biology, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany
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9
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Currey JD, Dean MN, Shahar R. Revisiting the links between bone remodelling and osteocytes: insights from across phyla. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1702-1719. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Revised: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- John D. Currey
- Department of Biology; University of York; York YO10 5DD U.K
| | - Mason N. Dean
- Department Biomaterials; Max Planck Institute of Colloids & Interfaces; 14424 Potsdam Germany
| | - Ron Shahar
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment; The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Rehovot 76100 Israel
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10
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11
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Kierdorf U, Stoffels D, Kierdorf H. Element concentrations and element ratios in antler and pedicle bone of yearling red deer (Cervus elaphus) stags-a quantitative X-ray fluorescence study. Biol Trace Elem Res 2014; 162:124-33. [PMID: 25319008 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-014-0154-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2014] [Accepted: 10/07/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The present study compared the concentrations of different elements (Ca, P, Mg, Sr, Ba, K, S, Zn, Mn) as well as Ca/P, Ca/Mg, Sr/Ca, and Ba/Ca ratios in hard antler and pedicle bone of yearling red deer stags (n = 11). Pedicles showed higher concentrations of calcium and phosphorus and a higher Ca/Mg ratio than antlers, while antlers exhibited higher concentrations of potassium, sulfur, and manganese as well as higher Ca/P, Sr/Ca, and Ba/Ca ratios. The findings indicate that antlers are less mineralized and show less maturation of their bone mineral than pedicles. Antlers also showed a higher intrasample variation of mineralization than pedicles, which can be related to the shorter life span of the (deciduous) antlers compared to the (permanent) pedicles. It is suggested that antler bone formation is stopped before the theoretically possible degree of mineralization and mineral maturation is reached, resulting in antler biomechanical properties (high bending strength and work to fracture) that are well suited for their role in intraspecific fighting. It is further suggested that the differences in Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios of antlers and pedicles are related to the dietary shift from milk to vegetation in combination with an increasing intestinal discrimination against Sr and Ba with age, resulting in a less marked difference in these ratios than would be expected based on the dietary shift alone. The findings of our study underscore the suitability of antlers and pedicles as models of bone mineralization and the influence of different animal-related and/or external factors on this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uwe Kierdorf
- Department of Biology, University of Hildesheim, Marienburger Platz 22, 31141, Hildesheim, Germany,
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Munk BA, Garrison E, Clemons B, Keel MK. Antleroma in a Free-ranging White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Vet Pathol 2014; 52:213-6. [DOI: 10.1177/0300985814528216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
A 2-year-old male free-ranging white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus) was diagnosed with bilateral expansile tumors of antler origin. The deer was found dead by a landowner in High Springs, Florida. Two roughly spherical, multilobular, broad-based, bony, velvet-covered masses originated from each antler pedicle. These masses replaced or displaced many of the bones and soft tissues of the skull and extended through the left cribriform plate and the right petrous temporal bone, compressing portions of the brain. Microscopically, the masses closely resembled normal-growing antler, containing all the elements thereof but with areas of necrosis and hemorrhage suggestive of ischemi or trauma. Tumorlike outgrowths termed antleromas have been described in free-ranging and captive cervids and typically are associated with disruptions in the seasonal rise and fall of circulating testosterone necessary for normal antler growth, casting, and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. A. Munk
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - E. Garrison
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - B. Clemons
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - M. Kevin Keel
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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Kierdorf U, Flohr S, Gomez S, Landete-Castillejos T, Kierdorf H. The structure of pedicle and hard antler bone in the European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus): a light microscope and backscattered electron imaging study. J Anat 2013; 223:364-84. [PMID: 23961846 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Deer antlers are deciduous bony structures that develop from permanent frontal outgrowths, the pedicles. While growth and bone architecture of antlers have been studied in greater detail, information on pedicle formation and structure is scarce. The present study provides information on the structure of pedicle and hard antler bone in the European roe deer. A pronounced seasonal variation in pedicle architecture was observed, with high porosity around antler casting and a very compact bone structure during the hard antler stage. These observations suggest a corresponding marked variation also in the biomechanical properties of the pedicles. The seasonally alternating extensive resorption and formation processes make the pedicles of older deer heavily remodeled structures. Pedicles increase in thickness by apposition of primary bone that subsequently becomes replaced by secondary osteons. The antler cortex of roe deer is largely composed of a tubular framework of woven bone trabeculae with some remnants of mineralized cartilage, and primary osteons that have filled in the intertrabecular spaces. Secondary osteons are scarce, denoting little remodeling in antlers, which can be related to their short lifespan. The occurrence of cement lines around primary osteons indicates resorption on the trabecular scaffold prior to infilling of the intertrabecular spaces. The outer cortex showed a higher autofluorescence and a more immature structure than the main cortex, suggesting that it was secondarily formed by periosteal activity. Pedicles and antlers constitute a functional entity, and future histological and/or biomechanical studies should therefore consider both components of the cranial appendages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uwe Kierdorf
- Department of Biology, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany
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Gomez S, Garcia AJ, Luna S, Kierdorf U, Kierdorf H, Gallego L, Landete-Castillejos T. Labeling studies on cortical bone formation in the antlers of red deer (Cervus elaphus). Bone 2013; 52:506-15. [PMID: 23000508 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2012.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2012] [Revised: 09/12/2012] [Accepted: 09/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The formation and mineralization process of antlers, which constitute the fastest growing bones in vertebrates, is still not fully understood. We used oxytetracycline injections to label different stages of bone formation in antlers of 14 red deer between days 28 and 156 of antler growth. Results show that initially a trabecular scaffold of woven bone is formed which largely replaces a pre-existing scaffold of mineralized cartilage. Lamellar bone is then deposited and from about day 70 onwards, primary osteons fill in the longitudinal tubes lined by the scaffold in a proximal to distal sequence. Mineral apposition rate (MAR) in early stages of primary osteon formation is very high (average 2.15 μm/d). Lower MARs were recorded for later stages of primary osteon formation (1.56 μm/d) and for the smaller secondary osteons (0.89 μm/d). Results suggest a peak in mineral demand around day 100 when the extent of mineralizing surfaces is maximal. A few secondary osteons were formed in a process of antler modeling rather than remodeling, as it occurred simultaneously with formation of primary osteons. The degree of cortical porosity reflects a reduction in MAR during later stages of osteonal growth, whereas cortical thickness is determined earlier. Injections given when the antlers were largely or completely clean from velvet produced no labels in antler bone, strongly suggesting that antlers are dead after velvet shedding. The rapidity of antler mineralization and the short lifespan of antlers make them an extraordinary model to assess the effects of chemicals impairing or promoting bone mineralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Gomez
- Departamento de Anatomía Patológica, Universidad de Cadiz, Falla 9, 11071 Cadiz, Spain
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15
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Fate of fluoride-induced subameloblastic cysts in developing hamster molar tooth germs. Arch Oral Biol 2011; 56:238-43. [PMID: 21277565 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2010.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2010] [Revised: 09/20/2010] [Accepted: 10/05/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
White opacities and pits are developmental defects in enamel caused by high intake of fluoride (F) during amelogenesis. We tested the hypothesis that these enamel pits develop at locations where F induces the formation of sub-ameloblastic cysts. We followed the fate of these cysts during molar development over time. Mandibles from hamster pups injected with 20mg NaF/kg at postnatal day 4 were excised from 1h after injection till shortly after tooth eruption, 8 days later. Tissues were histologically processed and cysts located and measured. Cysts were formed at early secretory stage and transitional stage of amelogenesis and detected as early 1h after injection. The number of cysts increased from 1 to almost 4 per molar during the first 16h post-injection. The size of the cysts was about the same, i.e., 0.46±0.29×10(6)μm(3) at 2h and 0.50±0.35×10(7)μm(3) at 16h post-injection. By detachment of the ameloblasts the forming enamel surface below the cyst was cell-free for the first 16h post-injection. With time new ameloblasts repopulated and covered the enamel surface in the cystic area. Three days after injection all cysts had disappeared and the integrity of the ameloblastic layer restored. After eruption, white opaque areas with intact enamel surface were found occlusally at similar anatomical locations as late secretory stage cysts were seen pre-eruptively. We conclude that at this moderate F dose, the opaque sub-surface defects with intact surface enamel (white spots) are the consequence of the fluoride-induced cystic lesions formed earlier under the late secretory-transitional stage ameloblasts.
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Improbable appendages: Deer antler renewal as a unique case of mammalian regeneration. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2009; 20:535-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2008.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2008] [Revised: 11/03/2008] [Accepted: 11/17/2008] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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Price JS, Allen S, Faucheux C, Althnaian T, Mount JG. Deer antlers: a zoological curiosity or the key to understanding organ regeneration in mammals? J Anat 2006; 207:603-18. [PMID: 16313394 PMCID: PMC1571559 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2005.00478.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Many organisms are able to regenerate lost or damaged body parts that are structural and functional replicates of the original. Eventually these become fully integrated into pre-existing tissues. However, with the exception of deer, mammals have lost this ability. Each spring deer shed antlers that were used for fighting and display during the previous mating season. Their loss is triggered by a fall in circulating testosterone levels, a hormonal change that is linked to an increase in day length. A complex 'blastema-like' structure or 'antler-bud' then forms; however, unlike the regenerative process in the newt, most evidence (albeit indirect) suggests that this does not involve reversal of the differentiated state but is stem cell based. The subsequent re-growth of antlers during the spring and summer months is spectacular and represents one of the fastest rates of organogenesis in the animal kingdom. Longitudinal growth involves endochondral ossification in the tip of each antler branch and bone growth around the antler shaft is by intramembranous ossification. As androgen concentrations rise in late summer, longitudinal growth stops, the skin (velvet) covering the antler is lost and antlers are 'polished' in preparation for the mating season. Although the timing of the antler growth cycle is clearly closely linked to circulating testosterone, oestrogen may be a key cellular regulator, as it is in the skeleton of other male mammals. We still know very little about the molecular machinery required for antler regeneration, although there is evidence that developmental signalling pathways with pleiotropic functions are important and that novel 'antler-specific' molecules may not exist. Identifying these pathways and factors, deciphering their interactions and how they are regulated by environmental cues could have an important impact on human health if this knowledge is applied to the engineering of new human tissues and organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Price
- Department of Basic Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, London, UK.
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Kierdorf U, Kierdorf H. Antlers as biomonitors of environmental pollution by lead and fluoride: A review. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2005. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-005-0093-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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