Bone disorder in cardiomyopathic hamsters

Alteration of bone status with ascorbic acid deficiency in ODS (osteogenic disorder Shionogi) rats

Rats with hereditary defects in ascorbic acid (AsA) synthesis (ODS rats) subjected to AsA-deficiency for 3 weeks showed reductions of plasma alkaline phosphatase and dry and ash weights of the tibia, but no body weight alteration. In accordance with the chemical changes, bone loss and decrease of bone formation by AsA deficiency but not by malnutrition were observed in contact microradiographs of the tibia and by a tetracycline double labeling technique, respectively. The mechanical properties of femora measured by a three point-bending procedure were also altered by AsA deficiency for 3 weeks and showed decreases of 59% in toughness, 32% in strength, 32% in ductility and 22% in stiffness. The biomechanical changes by AsA deficiency were greater than the chemical changes in bone, indicating the usefulness of measuring mechanical properties as a sensitive method for the evaluation of the bone status. The second moment of the area of the femur was not changed by AsA deficiency. These results suggest that AsA deficiency in ODS rats causes marked bone loss and reduction in bone formation, which is accompanied by a greater reduction in biomechanics of the femur without causing macroarchitectural changes.

Fluid movement in bone: theoretical and empirical

Evidence from the literature and from our laboratory demonstrates a pronounced and rapid flow of fluids and associated solutes through the extravascular spaces in bone. Minutes after injection, large molecules such as ferritin and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) have been localized throughout the osteocytic lacunae and canaliculi of cortical bone in the chick, rat and dog. Patterns of marker movement preclude diffusion as the mechanism for solute movement and suggest a centrifugal bulk flow of fluids. We have developed a computer model of bone fluid flow that has led to the conclusion that the pattern and rate of fluid movement is governed by the pressure differential across the bone, the vascular architecture, and the porosity of the mineralized matrix. The validity of simulations in which a substance is injected and monitored over time has been tested by comparisons with actual injections of markers in the rat. Evidence is presented for a relationship between blood flow and bone dynamics in growth, repair and pathology of bone. We employed the tail suspension model of weightlessness in the rat to test the effect of posture on the perfusion of cortical bone using injections of HRP. Data indicated that perfusion of the femur was reduced by this treatment. We propose a "rheostat" mechanism, which suggests that bone perfusion may set limits for bone growth and remodeling. Therefore, bone mass reflects the ability of the vasculature to supply oxygen and nutrients to the cells on and within the mineralized matrix.