Vitamin C prevents hypogonadal bone loss.
Epidemiologic studies correlate low vitamin C intake with bone loss. The genetic deletion of enzymes involved in de novo vitamin C synthesis in mice, likewise, causes severe osteoporosis. However, very few studies have evaluated a protective role of this dietary supplement on the skeleton. Here, we show that the ingestion of vitamin C prevents the low-turnover bone loss following ovariectomy in mice. We show that this prevention in areal bone mineral density and micro-CT parameters results from the stimulation of bone formation, demonstrable in vivo by histomorphometry, bone marker measurements, and quantitative PCR. Notably, the reductions in the bone formation rate, plasma osteocalcin levels, and ex vivo osteoblast gene expression 8 weeks post-ovariectomy are all returned to levels of sham-operated controls. The study establishes vitamin C as a skeletal anabolic agent.
School of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Hubei, China.
Ling-Ling
LL
Zhu
Jay
J
Cao
Merry
M
Sun
Tony
T
Yuen
Raymond
R
Zhou
Jianhua
J
Li
Yuanzhen
Y
Peng
Surinder S
SS
Moonga
Lida
L
Guo
Jeffrey I
JI
Mechanick
Jameel
J
Iqbal
Liu
L
Peng
Harry C
HC
Blair
Zhuan
Z
Bian
Mone
M
Zaidi
D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000517:prevention & control; D010052:Ovariectomy; D011859:Radiography
D001205:Ascorbic Acid