Preventive effect of beta-alanyl-L-histidinato zinc on bone metabolism in rats fed on low-calcium and vitamin D-deficient diets

Microelements for bone boost: the last but not the least

Osteoporosis is a major public health problem affects many millions of people around the world. It is a metabolic bone disease characterized by loss of bone mass and strength, resulting in increased risk of fractures. Several lifestyle factors are considered to be important determinants of it and nutrition can potentially have a positive impact on bone health, in the development and maintenance of bone mass and in the prevention of osteoporosis. There are potentially numerous nutrients and dietary components that can influence bone health, and these range from the macronutrients to micronutrients. In the last decade, epidemiological studies and clinical trials showed micronutrients can potentially have a positive impact on bone health, preventing bone loss and fractures, decreasing bone resorption and increasing bone formation. Consequently, optimizing micronutrients intake might represent an effective and low-cost preventive measure against osteoporosis.

Role of nutritional zinc in the prevention of osteoporosis

Zinc is known as an essential nutritional factor in the growth of the human and animals. Bone growth retardation is a common finding in various conditions associated with dietary zinc deficiency. Bone zinc content has been shown to decrease in aging, skeletal unloading, and postmenopausal conditions, suggesting its role in bone disorder. Zinc has been demonstrated to have a stimulatory effect on osteoblastic bone formation and mineralization; the metal directly activates aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase, a rate-limiting enzyme at translational process of protein synthesis, in the cells, and it stimulates cellular protein synthesis. Zinc has been shown to stimulate gene expression of the transcription factors runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) that is related to differentiation into osteoblastic cells. Moreover, zinc has been shown to inhibit osteoclastic bone resorption due to inhibiting osteoclast-like cell formation from bone marrow cells and stimulating apoptotic cell death of mature osteoclasts. Zinc has a suppressive effect on the receptor activator of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis. Zinc transporter has been shown to express in osteoblastic and osteoclastic cells. Zinc protein is involved in transcription. The intake of dietary zinc causes an increase in bone mass. beta-Alanyl-L: -histidinato zinc (AHZ) is a zinc compound, in which zinc is chelated to beta-alanyl-L: -histidine. The stimulatory effect of AHZ on bone formation is more intensive than that of zinc sulfate. Zinc acexamate has also been shown to have a potent-anabolic effect on bone. The oral administration of AHZ or zinc acexamate has the restorative effect on bone loss under various pathophysiologic conditions including aging, skeletal unloading, aluminum bone toxicity, calcium- and vitamin D-deficiency, adjuvant arthritis, estrogen deficiency, diabetes, and fracture healing. Zinc compounds may be designed as new supplementation factor in the prevention and therapy of osteoporosis.

Impaired glucose tolerance in vitamin D deficiency can be corrected by calcium

Vitamin D(3), via its active metabolite 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3), helps maintain normal calcium levels in the body. Apart from the maintenance of calcium homeostasis, the active form of vitamin D(3) is now known to be involved in a number of other functions including that of pancreatic beta cells. Low serum insulin levels and impaired glucose tolerance in a vitamin D-deficient state have been reported in experimental animals. Hypocalcemia is a major consequence of vitamin D deficiency. Whether the impairment observed is due to vitamin D deficiency per se or is secondary to low calcium is still a matter of controversy. The present study was conducted to delineate the roles of vitamin D and calcium in glucose intolerance associated with vitamin D deficiency in vivo. It was found that supplementation with either vitamin D(3) or high calcium alone to vitamin D-deficient rats could correct the defects. In addition, insulin sensitivity was found to be enhanced in the vitamin D-deficient group compared with vitamin D control or calcium-supplemented groups. Hence the present study demonstrates that calcium per se in the absence of vitamin D increases insulin secretion and normalizes intolerance to glucose seen in vitamin D deficiency.

beta-Alanyl-L-histidinato zinc and bone resorption

1. beta-Alanyl-L-histidinato zinc (AHZ), in which zinc is chelated to beta-alanyl-L-histidine, is a new zinc compound. beta-Alanyl-L-histidine can uniquely chelated zinc ion in various essential trace metals. More recently, it has been demonstrated that this compound has more intensive effect than zinc sulfate on bone metabolism, suggesting a role as pharmacological tool in osteoporosis. This review describes mainly the action of AHZ on bone resorption as summarized in the following. 2. The prolonged oral administration of AHZ (10-100 mg/kg/day) can completely prevent bone loss in the femur of ovariectomized rats, indicating the preventive effect of AHZ on bone resorption in vivo. 3. The decrease in bone calcium content induced by various bone resorbing factors was completely inhibited by the presence of AHZ (10(-6)-10(-4) M) in bone tissue culture system in vitro. 4. Many bone resorbing agents can stimulate the formation (differentiation) of osteoclasts from marrow cells. AHZ (10(-6)-10(-4) M) clearly inhibited osteoclast-like cell formation in mouse marrow culture in vitro. 5. AHZ may act on the process of parathyroid hormone-induced protein kinase C activation which is involved in Ca(2+)-signaling in osteoclastic cells.