title: Ovariectomy selectively reduces the concentration of transforming growth factor beta in rat bone: implications for estrogen deficiency-associated bone loss.
abstract: Previous work showed that production of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) by osteoblast-like rat UMR 106 cells was increased by 17 beta-estradiol at physiological concentrations. To determine whether ovariectomy alters the concentration of TGF-beta in rat long bones, female Sprague-Dawley rats were either sham-operated (n = 19) or ovariectomized (n = 19), pair-fed a semisynthetic diet for 6 weeks, and sacrificed. Tibial and femoral diaphyses were removed and extracted by demineralization. Ovariectomy lowered serum estrogen; did not alter body weight, serum magnesium, or serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D; and produced only modest differences in serum calcium and phosphate concentrations. Hydroxyproline was higher and extractable protein was lower in bones from ovariectomized rats than in bones from sham-operated rats; calcium content did not differ between the two groups of animals. Ovariectomy lowered the concentration of TGF-beta in bone but did not change the concentration of insulin-like growth factors I or II compared with values in bone from control animals. The reduction of bone TGF-beta was evident 6 weeks after surgery but not at 3 weeks. Treatment of ovariectomized rats with estrogen eliminated the TGF-beta deficit. To determine whether 17 beta-estradiol increased TGF-beta production by normal bone cells, mouse osteoblasts were treated for 2 days with 17 beta-estradiol. The production of TGF-beta was increased almost 2-fold by 1 nM 17 beta-estradiol, and short-term treatment stimulated the intracellular accumulation of TGF-beta 1 mRNA. We conclude that ovariectomy reduces deposition of TGF-beta in rat bone and that diminished skeletal TGF-beta could play a role in the pathogenesis of bone loss, fractures, and microfractures that occur in estrogen-deficient states. Our results support the possibility that estrogen and bone TGF-beta may be necessary for normal maintenance of the skeleton in female rats.
authors: Department of Periodontics, Loma Linda University, CA.
authors: R D
authors: RD
authors: Finkelman
authors: N H
authors: NH
authors: Bell
authors: D D
authors: DD
authors: Strong
authors: L M
authors: LM
authors: Demers
authors: D J
authors: DJ
authors: Baylink
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004958:Estradiol / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000378:metabolism*; D010052:Ovariectomy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D004958:Estradiol; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II