Lack of association of bone morphogenetic protein 2 gene haplotypes with bone mineral density, bone loss, or risk of fractures in men

Sexual differences in bone porosity, osteocyte density, and extracellular matrix organization due to osteoblastic-specific Bmp2 deficiency in mice

Clinical studies have come to conflicting conclusions regarding BMP2 deficiency's link to regulating bone mass and increasing fracture risk. This may be due to the signaling protein having sex- or age-dependent effects. Previous pre-clinical studies have supported a role, but have not adequately determined the physical mechanism causing altered bulk material properties. This study investigated the physical effects of Bmp2 ablation from osteogenic lineage cells (Osx-Cre; Bmp2^fl/fl) in 10- and 15-week-old male and female mice. Bones collected post-mortem were subjected to fracture toughness testing, reference point indentation testing, microCT, and histological analysis to determine the multi-scale relationships between mechanical/material behavior and collagen production, collagen organization, and bone architecture. BMP2-deficient bones were smaller, more brittle, and contained more lacunae-scale voids and cortical pores. The cellular density was significantly increased and there were material-level differences measured by reference point indentation, independently of collagen fiber alignment or organization. The disparities in bone size and in bone fracture toughness between genotypes were especially striking in males at 15-weeks-old. Together, this study suggests that there are sex- and age-dependent effects of BMP2 deficiency. The results from both sexes also warrant further investigation into BMP2 deficiency's role in osteoblasts' transition to osteocytes and overall bone porosity.

Epigenetic regulation of BMP2 gene in osteoporosis: a DNA methylation study

Osteoporosis is a multifactorial disease in which genetic factors and epigenetic modifications play a major role. DNA methylation is known for gene silencing and its effect on BMP2 promoter has been studied here to understand its regulatory activity in osteoporosis pathogenicity. CpG methylation in the BMP2 promoter was analyzed by performing bisulfite specific PCR on the gDNA samples extracted from whole blood of osteoporotic (n = 24) and healthy (n = 24) individuals. Disproportionate allele frequency of CpG sites was calculated statistically. Differential BMP2 expression was estimated using quantitative RT-PCR technique. Luciferase reporter assay was performed to determine and confirm differential transcriptional activity of BMP2 promoter due to methylation. Total of 14 CpG sites were reporter in the BMP2 promoter of which, CpG site at - 267th position upstream to TSS was found to have disproportionate allele frequency among osteoporotic and healthy individuals and was found to be significantly associated with osteoporosis condition. Functional and gene expression analysis of this methylated site using luciferase reporter vector and Real Time PCR approach, suggested reduced transcriptional activity of BMP2 promoter as well as decreased gene expression in disease condition. BMP2 is being a central signaling molecule, aberrant methylation in the promoter region may result into down regulation of osteoblast markers involved in bone formation.

The Hertfordshire Cohort Study: an overview

The Hertfordshire Cohort Study is a nationally unique study of men and women born in the English county of Hertfordshire in the early part of the 20 ^th century. Records that detail their health in infancy and childhood have been preserved, their sociodemographic, lifestyle, medical and biological attributes have been characterised in later life, and routinely collected data on their hospital use and mortality have been acquired. This paper provides an overview of the study since its inception in the 1980s, including its methods, findings, and plans for its future.

Association of Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP)/Smad Signaling Pathway with Fracture Healing and Osteogenic Ability in Senile Osteoporotic Fracture in Humans and Rats

Background

To investigate the effect of the BMP/Smad signaling pathway on fracture healing and osteogenic ability in senile osteoporotic fracture on humans and rats.

Material/Methods

Sixty-two patients and well-matched normal controls were enrolled for clinical observation. A rat model of senile osteoporotic fracture was established. Serum BMP2 and Smad4 levels, as well as alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, were detected by ELISA. Fracture healing was observed by X-ray radiography and bone formation was analyzed by micro-CT.

Results

Serum BMP2 and Smad4 levels in patients with senile osteoporotic fracture were significantly lower than those in normal controls (all P<0.01). BMP2 was highly positively correlated with Smad4 in patients with senile osteoporotic fracture (r=0.738). Compared with patients with low serum BMP2 and Smad4 levels, visual analog scale scores decreased, bone mineral density (BMD) increased, and duration of fracture healing was shortened in patients with high levels (all P<0.05). Compared with the Model group, serum BMP2 and Smad4 levels increased, fracture healing was improved, BMD, trabecular bone volume (TBV), tissue volume (TV), bone volume fraction (BV/TV), mean trabecular thickness (Tb. Th), and mean number of trabecular bone (Tb. N) were increased, and ALP activity increased in the BMP2 overexpression group (all P<0.05), while each index in the NC group showed no statistical difference relative to rats in the Model group (all P>0.05).

Conclusions

BMP2 overexpression can promote fracture healing and osteogenic ability in senile osteoporotic fractures through activating the BMP/Smad signaling pathway.

Novel hedgehog agonists promote osteoblast differentiation in mesenchymal stem cells

Hedgehog (Hh) family members are involved in multiple cellular processes including proliferation, migration, differentiation, and cell fate determination. Recently, the novel Hh agonists Hh-Ag 1.3 and 1.7 were identified in a high-throughput screening of small molecule compounds that activate the expression of Gli1, a target of Hh signaling. This study demonstrates that Hh-Ag 1.3 and 1.7 strongly activate the expression of endogenous Gli1 and promote osteoblast differentiation in the mesenchymal stem cell line C3H10T1/2. Both compounds stimulated alkaline phosphatase activity in a dose-dependent manner, and induced osteoblast marker gene expression in C3H10T1/2 cells, which indicated that they had acquired an osteoblast identity. Of the markers, the expression of osterix/Sp7, a downstream target of runt-related transcription factor (Runx)2, was induced by Hh-Ag 1.7, which also rescued the osteoblast differentiation defect of RD-127, a mesenchymal cell line from Runx2-deficient mice. Hh-Ags also activated canonical Wnt signaling and synergized with low doses of BMP-2 to enhance osteoblastic potential. Thus, Hh-Ag 1.7 could be useful for bone healing in individuals with abnormalities in osteogenesis, such as osteoporosis patients and the elderly, and can contribute to the development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of bone fractures and defects.

Long bone structure and strength depend on BMP2 from osteoblasts and osteocytes, but not vascular endothelial cells

The importance of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) in the skeleton is well known. BMP2 is expressed in a variety of tissues during development, growth and healing. In this study we sought to better identify the role of tissue-specific BMP2 during post-natal growth and to determine if BMP2 knockout affects the ability of terminally differentiated cells to create high quality bone material. We targeted BMP2 knockout to two differentiated cell types known to express BMP2 during growth and healing, early-stage osteoblasts and their progeny (osterix promoted Cre) and vascular endothelial cells (vascular-endothelial-cadherin promoted Cre). Our objectives were to assess post-natal bone growth, structure and strength. We hypothesized that removal of BMP2 from osteogenic and vascular cells (separately) would result in smaller skeletons with inferior bone material properties. At 12 and 24 weeks of age the osteoblast knockout of BMP2 reduced body weight by 20%, but the vascular knockout had no effect. Analysis of bone in the tibia revealed reductions in cortical and cancellous bone size and volume in the osteoblast knockout, but not in the vascular endothelial knockout. Furthermore, forelimb strength testing revealed a 30% reduction in ultimate force at both 12 and 24 weeks in the osteoblast knockout of BMP2, but no change in the vascular endothelial knockout. Moreover, mechanical strength testing of femurs from osteoblast knockout mice demonstrated an increased Young's modulus (greater than 35%) but decreased post-yield displacement (greater than 50%) at both 12 and 24 weeks of age. In summary, the osteoblast knockout of BMP2 reduced bone size and altered mechanical properties at the whole-bone and material levels. Osteoblast-derived BMP2 has an important role in post-natal skeletal growth, structure and strength, while vascular endothelial-derived BMP2 does not.