New Advances in Improving Bone Health Based on Specific Gut Microbiota

Genomic structural variations link multiple genes to bone mineral density in a multi-ethnic cohort study: Louisiana osteoporosis study

Osteoporosis, characterized by low BMD, is a highly heritable metabolic bone disorder. Although single nucleotide variations (SNVs) have been extensively studied, they explain only a fraction of BMD heritability. Although genomic structural variations (SVs) are large-scale genomic alterations that contribute to genetic diversity in shaping phenotypic variations, the role of SVs in osteoporosis susceptibility remains poorly understood. This study aims to identify and prioritize genes that harbor BMD-related SVs. We performed whole genome sequencing on 4982 subjects from the Louisiana Osteoporosis Study. To obtain high-confidence SVs, the detection of SVs was performed using an ensemble approach. The SVs were tested for association with BMD variation at the hip (HIP), femoral neck (FNK), and lumbar spine (SPN), respectively. Additionally, we conducted co-occurrence analysis using multi-omics approaches to prioritize the identified genes based on their functional importance. Stratification was employed to explore the sex- and ethnicity-specific effects. We identified significant SV-BMD associations: 125 for FNK-BMD, 99 for SPN-BMD, and 83 for HIP-BMD. We observed SVs that were commonly associated with both FNK and HIP BMDs in our combined and stratified analyses. These SVs explain 13.3% to 19.1% of BMD variation. Novel bone-related genes emerged, including LINC02370, ZNF family genes, and ZDHHC family genes. Additionally, FMN2, carrying BMD-related deletions, showed associations with FNK or HIP BMDs, with sex-specific effects. The co-occurrence analysis prioritized an RNA gene LINC00494 and ZNF family genes positively associated with BMDs at different skeletal sites. Two potential causal genes, IBSP and SPP1, for osteoporosis were also identified. Our study uncovers new insights into genetic factors influencing BMD through SV analysis. We highlight BMD-related SVs, revealing a mix of shared and specific genetic influences across skeletal sites and gender or ethnicity. These findings suggest potential roles in osteoporosis pathophysiology, opening avenues for further research and therapeutic targets.

Associations between gut microbiota and osteoporosis or osteopenia in a cohort of Chinese Han youth

Osteoporosis (OP) is a common metabolic bone disease characterized by low bone mass and microstructural deterioration of bone. Changes in the composition and structure of gut microbiota (GM) are related to changes of bone mass and bone microstructure. However, the relationship between GM and bone mineral density (BMD) is complex, and data are especially scarce for Chinese Han youth. Therefore, 62 Chinese Han youth participants were recruited. Furthermore, according to the T-score evaluation criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO), we divided the BMD levels of participants into three groups: osteoporosis\BDL, osteopenia\BDM, normal bone density\BDH, and the associations between GM community and BMD groups were conducted. According to alpha and beta diversity analysis, significant differences were found in the microbial richness and composition between groups. The dominant phyla of GM in a cohort of Chinese Han youth were Bacteroidota (50.6%) and Firmicutes (41.6%). Anaerobic microorganisms, such as g_Faecalibacterium and g_Megamonas, account for the largest proportion in the gut, which were mainly Firmicutes phylum. The dominant genera and species in the three BMD groups were g_Prevotella, g_Bacteroides, g_Faecalibacterium, g_Megamonas, s_Prevotella copri, s_unclassified_g_Faecalibacterium, s_unclassified_g_Prevotella, s_unclassified_g_Bacteroides and s_Bacteroides plebeius. g_Faecalibacterium, g_Bacteroides and g_Ruminococcus differed between the BDH and BDL groups as well as between the BDH and BDM groups. LEfSe showed three genus communities and eight species communities were enriched in the three BMD groups, respectively. The associations between microbial relative abundance and T-score was not statistically significant by Spearman and regression analysis. In conclusion, the alpha diversity indexes in the BDH group were higher than in the BDL group, and several taxa were identified that may be the targets for diagnosis and therapy of OP.

Understanding Osteoporosis: Human Bone Density, Genetic Mechanisms, Gut Microbiota, and Future Prospects

Osteoporosis is a systemic condition of the skeleton that leads to diminished bone mass, a breakdown in the bone tissue's microscopic architecture, and an elevated risk of breaking a bone. The elderly and women particularly after menopause are disproportionately affected, and the condition generally stays undiagnosed until a broken bone causes severe pain and immobility. Causes of osteoporosis include low bone mass, more than normal bone loss, changes in hormone levels (decreased estrogen or testosterone), certain diseases and therapies, and lifestyle factors like smoking and inactivity. The spine, hip, and forearm are particularly vulnerable to osteoporosis-related fractures. The purpose of this article is to present a thorough understanding of osteoporosis, including the disease's connection to bone density in humans, and the major part played by genetic pathways and gut flora. The causes of osteoporosis, the effects of aging on bone density, and why some groups experience a higher incidence of the disease than others are investigated. The paper also includes animal and human experiments investigating the link between gut flora and osteoporosis. Finally, it looks to the future and speculates on possible developments in osteoporosis prevention and therapy.

Natural Compounds for Bone Remodeling: A Computational and Experimental Approach Targeting Bone Metabolism-Related Proteins

Osteoporosis, characterized by reduced bone density and increased fracture risk, affects over 200 million people worldwide, predominantly older adults and postmenopausal women. The disruption of the balance between bone-forming osteoblasts and bone-resorbing osteoclasts underlies osteoporosis pathophysiology. Standard treatment includes lifestyle modifications, calcium and vitamin D supplementation and specific drugs that either inhibit osteoclasts or stimulate osteoblasts. However, these treatments have limitations, including side effects and compliance issues. Natural products have emerged as potential osteoporosis therapeutics, but their mechanisms of action remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigate the efficacy of natural compounds in modulating molecular targets relevant to osteoporosis, focusing on the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) pathway and the gut microbiome's influence on bone homeostasis. Using an in silico and in vitro methodology, we have identified quercetin as a promising candidate in modulating MAPK activity, offering a potential therapeutic perspective for osteoporosis treatment.

Diabetic Rats Induced Using a High-Fat Diet and Low-Dose Streptozotocin Treatment Exhibit Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis and Osteoporotic Bone Pathologies

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) presents a challenge for individuals today, affecting their health and life quality. Besides its known complications, T2DM has been found to contribute to bone/mineral abnormalities, thereby increasing the vulnerability to bone fragility/fractures. However, there is still a need for appropriate diagnostic approaches and targeted medications to address T2DM-associated bone diseases. This study aims to investigate the relationship between changes in gut microbiota, T2DM, and osteoporosis. To explore this, a T2DM rat model was induced by combining a high-fat diet and low-dose streptozotocin treatment. Our findings reveal that T2DM rats have lower bone mass and reduced levels of bone turnover markers compared to control rats. We also observe significant alterations in gut microbiota in T2DM rats, characterized by a higher relative abundance of Firmicutes (F) and Proteobacteria (P), but a lower relative abundance of Bacteroidetes (B) at the phylum level. Further analysis indicates a correlation between the F/B ratio and bone turnover levels, as well as between the B/P ratio and HbA1c levels. Additionally, at the genus level, we observe an inverse correlation in the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae. These findings show promise for the development of new strategies to diagnose and treat T2DM-associated bone diseases.

Strontium chloride improves bone mass by affecting the gut microbiota in young male rats

Introduction

Bone mass accumulated in early adulthood is an important determinant of bone mass throughout the lifespan, and inadequate bone deposition may lead to associated skeletal diseases. Recent studies suggest that gut bacteria may be potential factors in boosting bone mass. Strontium (Sr) as a key bioactive element has been shown to improve bone quality, but the precise way that maintains the equilibrium of the gut microbiome and bone health is still not well understood.

Methods

We explored the capacity of SrCl2 solutions of varying concentrations (0, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg BW) on bone quality in 7-week-old male Wistar rats and attempted to elucidate the mechanism through gut microbes.

Results

The results showed that in a Wistar rat model under normal growth conditions, serum Ca levels increased after Sr-treatment and showed a dose-dependent increase with Sr concentration. Three-point mechanics and Micro-CT results showed that Sr exposure enhanced bone biomechanical properties and improved bone microarchitecture. In addition, the osteoblast gene markers BMP, BGP, RUNX2, OPG and ALP mRNA levels were significantly increased to varying degrees after Sr treatment, and the osteoclast markers RANKL and TRAP were accompanied by varying degrees of reduction. These experimental results show that Sr improves bones from multiple angles. Further investigation of the microbial population revealed that the composition of the gut microbiome was changed due to Sr, with the abundance of 6 of the bacteria showing a different dose dependence with Sr concentration than the control group. To investigate whether alterations in bacterial flora were responsible for the effects of Sr on bone remodeling, a further pearson correlation analysis was done, 4 types of bacteria (Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, Alistipes and Weissella) were deduced to be the primary contributors to Sr-relieved bone loss. Of these, we focused our analysis on the most firmly associated Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014.

Discussion

To summarize, our current research explores changes in bone mass following Sr intervention in young individuals, and the connection between Sr-altered intestinal flora and potentially beneficial bacteria in the attenuation of bone loss. These discoveries underscore the importance of the "gut-bone" axis, contributing to an understanding of how Sr affects bone quality, and providing a fresh idea for bone mass accumulation in young individuals and thereby preventing disease due to acquired bone mass deficiency.

Effects of very low carbohydrate ketogenic diets on skeletal health

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Very low carbohydrate ketogenic diet (KD) therapy has been associated with skeletal demineralization in children with drug-resistant epilepsy, but the cause of this association is unclear. Recently, interest in the KD has grown owing to its potential benefits for other illnesses including cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and polycystic kidney disease. Summaries of the best available evidence regarding effects of a KD on skeletal health are lacking.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent rodent studies found that a KD can harm the growing skeleton, which corroborates most but not all studies in pediatric patients. Proposed mechanisms include chronic metabolic acidosis and depressed osteoanabolic hormones. Relative to other weight-reducing diets, a weight-reducing KD for treatment of obesity and/or type 2 diabetes in adults has not been associated with adverse skeletal effects. By contrast, recent evidence suggests that adaptation to a eucaloric KD may impair bone remodeling in elite adult athletes. Discrepancies in the literature may relate to differences between study populations and in diet formulation.

SUMMARY

Attention to skeletal health is warranted when using KD therapy given the uncertainty in the literature and suggestive harms in certain populations. Future research should focus on potential mechanisms of injury.

Revitalizing myocarditis treatment through gut microbiota modulation: unveiling a promising therapeutic avenue

Numerous studies have demonstrated that gut microbiota plays an important role in the development and treatment of different cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, heart failure, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, and atherosclerosis. Furthermore, evidence from recent studies has shown that gut microbiota contributes to the development of myocarditis. Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease that often results in myocardial damage. Myocarditis is a common cause of sudden cardiac death in young adults. The incidence of myocarditis and its associated dilated cardiomyopathy has been increasing yearly. Myocarditis has gained significant attention on social media due to its association with both COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccinations. However, the current therapeutic options for myocarditis are limited. In addition, little is known about the potential therapeutic targets of myocarditis. In this study, we review (1) the evidence on the gut-heart axis, (2) the crosslink between gut microbiota and the immune system, (3) the association between myocarditis and the immune system, (4) the impact of gut microbiota and its metabolites on myocarditis, (5) current strategies for modulating gut microbiota, (6) challenges and future directions for targeted gut microbiota in the treatment of myocarditis. The approach of targeting the gut microbiota in myocarditis is still in its infancy, and this is the study to explore the gut microbiota-immune system-myocarditis axis. Our findings are expected to pave the way for the use of gut microbiota as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of myocarditis.

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Bone Tissue Metabolism: Current Findings and Future Perspectives

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is reaching epidemic proportions worldwide. Moreover, the prevalence of this liver disease is expected to increase rapidly in the near future, aligning with the rise in obesity and the aging of the population. The pathogenesis of NAFLD is considered to be complex and to include the interaction between genetic, metabolic, inflammatory, and environmental factors. It is now well documented that NAFLD is linked to the other conditions common to insulin resistance, such as abnormal lipid levels, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Additionally, it is considered that the insulin resistance may be one of the main mechanisms determining the disturbances in both bone tissue metabolism and skeletal muscles quality and functions in patients with NAFLD. To date, the association between NAFLD and osteoporosis has been described in several studies, though it worth noting that most of them included postmenopausal women or elderly patients and originated from Asia. However, taking into account the health and economic burdens of NAFLD, and the increasing prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents worldwide, further investigation of the relationship between osteopenia, osteoporosis and sarcopenia in NAFLD, including in young and middle-aged patients, is of great importance. In addition, this will help to justify active screening and surveillance of osteopenia and osteoporosis in patients with NAFLD. In this review, we will discuss various pathophysiological mechanisms and possible biologically active molecules that may interplay between NAFLD and bone tissue metabolism.

Identifying microbial signatures for patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis using gut microbiota analyses and feature selection approaches

Osteoporosis (OP) is a metabolic bone disorder characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of micro-architectural bone tissue. The most common type of OP is postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP), with fragility fractures becoming a global burden for women. Recently, the gut microbiota has been connected to bone metabolism. The aim of this study was to characterize the gut microbiota signatures in PMOP patients and controls. Fecal samples from 21 PMOP patients and 37 controls were collected and analyzed using amplicon sequencing of the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene. The bone mineral density (BMD) measurement and laboratory biochemical test were performed on all participants. Two feature selection algorithms, maximal information coefficient (MIC) and XGBoost, were employed to identify the PMOP-related microbial features. Results showed that the composition of gut microbiota changed in PMOP patients, and microbial abundances were more correlated with total hip BMD/T-score than lumbar spine BMD/T-score. Using the MIC and XGBoost methods, we identified a set of PMOP-related microbes; a logistic regression model revealed that two microbial markers (Fusobacteria and Lactobacillaceae) had significant abilities in disease classification between the PMOP and control groups. Taken together, the findings of this study provide new insights into the etiology of OP/PMOP, as well as modulating gut microbiota as a therapeutic target in the diseases. We also highlight the application of feature selection approaches in biological data mining and data analysis, which may improve the research in medical and life sciences.

Association between Microbiome-Related Human Genetic Variants and Fasting Plasma Glucose in a High-Cardiovascular-Risk Mediterranean Population

Background and Objectives: The gut microbiota has been increasingly recognized as a relevant factor associated with metabolic diseases. However, directly measuring the microbiota composition is a limiting factor for several studies. Therefore, using genetic variables as proxies for the microbiota composition is an important issue. Landmark microbiome-host genome-wide association studies (mbGWAS) have identified many SNPs associated with gut microbiota. Our aim was to analyze the association between relevant microbiome-related genetic variants (Mi-RSNPs) and fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes in a Mediterranean population, exploring the interaction with Mediterranean diet adherence. Materials and Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study in a high-cardiovascular-risk Mediterranean population (n = 1020), analyzing the association of Mi-RSNPs (from four published mbGWAS) with fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes. A single-variant approach was used for fitting fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes to a multivariable regression model. In addition, a Mendelian randomization analysis with multiple variants was performed as a sub-study. Results: We obtained several associations between Mi-RSNPs and fasting plasma glucose involving gut Gammaproteobacteria_HB, the order Rhizobiales, the genus Rumminococcus torques group, and the genus Tyzzerella as the top ranked. For type 2 diabetes, we also detected significant associations with Mi-RSNPs related to the order Rhizobiales, the family Desulfovibrionaceae, and the genus Romboutsia. In addition, some Mi-RSNPs and adherence to Mediterranean diet interactions were detected. Lastly, the formal Mendelian randomization analysis suggested combined effects. Conclusions: Although the use of Mi-RSNPs as proxies of the microbiome is still in its infancy, and although this is the first study analyzing such associations with fasting plasma glucose and type 2 diabetes in a Mediterranean population, some interesting associations, as well as modulations, with adherence to the Mediterranean diet were detected in these high-cardiovascular-risk subjects, eliciting new hypotheses.