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Clifford J Rosen

Publications and source records attributed to Clifford J Rosen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Effects of loss of classical estrogen response element signaling on bone in male mice.

The role of estrogen signaling in the male skeleton via estrogen receptor (ER)-alpha is now well established. ERalpha can elicit responses through either classical estrogen response elements (ERE) pathways or nonclassical, non-ERE pathways. In the present study, we examined the effects of either the attenuation or loss of classical ERalpha signaling on the murine male skeleton. To accomplish this, we crossed male mice heterozygous for a knock-in mutation [nonclassical ERalpha knock-in (NERKI)], which abolishes the ERE-mediated pathway with female heterozygous ERalpha knockout mice (ERalpha+/-) and studied the F1 generation ERalpha+/+, ERalpha+/-, ERalpha+/NERKI, and ERalpha-/NERKI male progeny longitudinally using bone density and histomorphometry. The only ERalpha allele present in ERalpha-/NERKI mice is incapable of classical ERE-mediated signaling, whereas the heterozygous ERalpha+/NERKI mice have both one intact ERalpha and one NERKI allele. As compared with ERalpha+/+ littermates (n=10/genotype), male ERalpha+/NERKI and ERalpha-/NERKI mice displayed axial and appendicular skeletal osteopenia at 6, 12, 20, and 25 wk of age, as demonstrated by significant reductions in total bone mineral density (BMD) at representative sites (areal BMD by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry at the lumbar vertebrae and femur and volumetric BMD by peripheral quantitative computed tomography at the tibia; P<0.05-0.001 vs. ERalpha+/+). The observed osteopenia in these mice was evident in both trabecular and cortical bone compartments. However, these decreases were more severe in mice lacking classical ERalpha signaling (ERalpha-/NERKI mice), compared with mice in which one wild-type ERalpha allele was present (ERalpha+/NERKI mice). Collectively, these data demonstrate that classical ERalpha signaling is crucial for the development of the murine male skeleton.

Animals↗

Effects of parathyroid hormone (1-34) on tibia in an adult rat model for chronic alcohol abuse.

Chronic alcohol abuse is a risk factor for osteoporosis in men. Human recombinant parathyroid hormone (1-34) (PTH) therapy increases bone mass in patients with osteoporosis. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether PTH is effective in increasing bone formation and bone mass in a rat model for established osteopenia caused by chronic alcohol abuse. Eight-month-old male Sprague Dawley rats were fed the Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet in which 35% of the calories were derived from either maltose-dextran or ethanol. Measurements were performed 16 weeks later to establish the magnitude of bone changes in the rats fed alcohol. High dose PTH (80 microg/kg/day) was administered 5 days/week for 6 weeks to establish the differential efficacy of hormone therapy on bone formation in alcohol consuming and alcohol withdrawn rats. The effects of alcohol and PTH on cancellous and cortical bone mass, architecture and turnover were determined by densitometry and histomorphometry. Rats fed alcohol had reduced bone mineral contents and densities, cancellous and cortical bone areas and cancellous bone formation rates compared to pair-fed controls. Following the withdrawal of alcohol, indices of bone formation increased compared to baseline values. PTH treatment increased bone mineral content and density, bone formation rates, cortical bone area, cancellous bone area and trabecular number and thickness, but several indices of bone formation were reduced in the presence of continued alcohol consumption. These results suggest that alcohol consumption, in addition to inducing bone loss, may reduce the efficacy of PTH therapy to reverse osteoporosis.

Alcoholism↗

Epithelial-specific and stage-specific functions of insulin-like growth factor-I during postnatal mammary development.

Postnatal development of the mammary gland requires interactions between the epithelial and stromal compartments, which regulate actions of hormones and growth factors. IGF-I is expressed in both epithelial and stromal compartments during postnatal development of the mammary gland. However, little is known about how local expression of IGF-I in epithelium or stroma regulates mammary growth and differentiation during puberty and pregnancy-induced alveolar development. The goal of this study was to investigate the mechanisms of IGF-I actions in the postnatal mammary gland and test the hypothesis that IGF-I expressed in stromal and epithelial compartments has distinct functions. We established mouse lines with inactivation of the igf1 gene in mammary epithelium by crossing igf1/loxP mice with mouse lines expressing Cre recombinase under the control of either the mouse mammary tumor virus long-terminal repeat or the whey acidic protein gene promoter. Epithelial-specific loss of IGF-I during pubertal growth resulted in deficits in ductal branching. In contrast, heterozygous reduction of IGF-I throughout the gland decreased expression of cyclins A2 and B1 during pubertal growth and resulted in alterations in proliferation of the alveolar epithelium and milk protein levels during pregnancy-induced differentiation. Reduction in epithelial IGF-I at either of these stages had no effect on these indices. Taken together, our results support distinct roles for IGF-I expressed in epithelial and stromal compartments in mediating growth of the postnatal mammary gland.

Animals↗

Impact of seafood and fruit consumption on bone mineral density.

OBJECTIVES: Over the past decade, dietary choices and nutrition have proven to be major modulators of bone mineral density (BMD) in men and women. We investigated environmental determinants, specifically dietary habits, of BMD by using multiple regression models in a rural Chinese population. METHODS: BMDs were measured at the hip and total body in 5848 men and 6207 women, aged 25-64. Dietary and supplemental intakes were assessed by a simple, one-page questionnaire tailored to collect nutritional information from large rural populations. Another questionnaire was used to collect information on the subjects' age, disease history, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity as well as women's menstrual status and reproductive history. Multiple regression models were used to assess the relationships among dietary variables and BMD, after adjusting for age, BMI (body mass index), weight, occupation, smoking status, and alcohol consumption. RESULTS: Increasing seafood consumption was significantly associated with greater BMD in women (p<0.001), especially those consuming more than 250 g per week of seafood. One thousand and three hundred and twenty-four men and 1479 women consumed >250 g of fruit per week. Higher fruit intake was found to be significantly associated with higher BMD in both sexes (p<0.05). High vegetable consumption, however, did not positively impact BMD. CONCLUSIONS: This study with its large population size has identified preventive measures, as well as some risk factors, involved in bone loss and osteoporosis. Our results highlight the importance of several dietary variables as significant determinants of BMD. It also emphasizes the role of dietary intake in general and shows that specific foods, such as fruits and seafood, can positively impact BMD.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

IGF-I secretion by prostate carcinoma cells does not alter tumor-bone cell interactions in vitro or in vivo.

BACKGROUND: IGF-I is an important growth and differentiative factor for osteoblasts and may have a role in defining prostate cancer risk and skeletal metastases. METHODS: Conditioned media (CM) from human prostate cancer (PC), C4-2 and C4-2B, which produce osteoblastic lesions, and PC-3, which causes osteolysis, was added to MC3T3-E1 bone cultures. SCID mice were injected intratibially with these engineered cells. Tumor bearing tibiae were analyzed by microCT and pQCT. RESULTS: CM from PC cells increased osteoblast proliferation and differentiation and was unaltered by the type of PC cell, IGF-I antibodies, or exogenous IGF-I and IGFBP2. Study of intratibial PC tumors in SCID mice showed that C4-2 cells grew slowly preserving bone structure, while PC-3 tumors caused rapid osteolysis. Overexpression of IGF-I did not change either tumor progression or skeletal response. CONCLUSIONS: IGF-I is neither necessary nor sufficient for the osteoblastic response to PC metastases.

Animals↗

Transgenic mice with osteoblast-targeted insulin-like growth factor-I show increased bone remodeling.

To determine the effects of locally-expressed insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) on bone remodeling, a transgene was produced in which murine IGF-I cDNA was cloned downstream of a gene fragment comprising 3.6 kb of 5' upstream regulatory sequence and most of the first intron of the rat Col1a1 gene. The construct was expressed at the mRNA and protein level in transfected osteoblasts. Five lines of transgenic mice were generated by embryo microinjection. Transgene mRNA levels were highest in calvaria, long bone and tendon, and lower in skin. Serum IGF-I and body weight were increased in males and females only in the highest expressing line. Histomorphometry showed that transgenic calvaria were wider and had greater marrow area and bone area. Transgenic calvaria had increased osteoclast number per bone surface. Percent collagen synthesis and cell replication were increased in transgenic calvaria. Femur length, cortical width and cross-sectional area were increased in transgenic femurs of the highest expressing line, while femoral trabecular bone volume was little affected. Thus, broad overexpression of IGF-I in cells of the osteoblast lineage increased indices of bone formation and resorption.

Animals↗

Genetic increase in serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in C3H/HeJ compared with C57BL/6J mice is associated with increased transcription from the IGF-I exon 2 promoter.

C3H/HeJ (C3H) mice exhibit 30-40% higher serum IGF-I than do C57BL/6J (B6) mice, in association with increased bone mineral density and strength. These differences are inherited and thus provide a model for determining molecular mechanisms for genetic variation of serum IGF-I and downstream actions. We now report that increased serum IGF-I in C3H mice is associated with increased transcription from the minor exon 2 promoter in liver from female and male mice. The increase in hepatic IGF-I gene expression caused by increased abundance of IGF-I mRNA transcribed from the exon 2 promoter can quantitatively account for the increased serum IGF-I in C3H mice. Also, levels of both Ea and Eb IGF-I mRNAs are increased in livers of male C3H mice. Fasting lowered serum IGF-I and liver IGF-I mRNA levels in female mice of both strains. However, serum IGF-I and liver IGF-I mRNA levels remained higher in fasted C3H mice compared with fasted B6 mice. Levels of IGF-I transcripts initiated from exon 2 are also significantly increased in skeletal muscle, fat, ovaries, and kidneys of C3H mice. IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-5 mRNA levels are significantly higher in muscle and fat of C3H mice than in B6 mice. Levels of exon 1-containing transcripts are increased in whole femurs of male and female C3H mice. We conclude that increased transcription of the IGF-I gene occurs in a promoter- and tissue-specific manner in C3H mice. The increased IGF binding protein-5 mRNA levels in fat and muscle suggest that IGF-I signaling is increased in these tissues in C3H mice.

Animals↗

Postnatal growth and bone mass in mice with IGF-I haploinsufficiency.

We examined the influence of IGF-I haploinsufficiency on growth, bone mass and osteoblast differentiation in Igf1 heterozygous knockout (HET) mice. Cohorts of male and female wild type (WT) and HET mice in the outbred CD-1 background were analyzed at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 15 and 18 months of age for body weight, serum IGF-I and bone morphometry. Compared to WT mice, HET mice had 20-30% lower serum IGF-I levels in both genders and in all age groups. Female HET mice showed significant reductions in body weight (10-20%), femur length (4-6%) and femoral bone mineral density (BMD) (7-12%) before 15 months of age. Male HET mice showed significant differences in all parameters at 2 months and thereafter. At 8 and 12 months, WT mice also showed a significant gender effect: despite their lower body weight, female mice had higher femoral BMD and femur length compared to males. Microcomputed tomography showed a significant reduction in cortical bone area (7-20%) and periosteal circumference (5-13%) with no consistent pattern of change in trabecular bone measurements in 2- and 8-month old HET mice in both genders. HET primary osteoblast cultures showed a 40% reduction in IGF-I protein expression and a 50% decrease in IGF-I mRNA expression. Cell growth and proliferation were decreased in HET cultures. Thus, IGF-I haploinsufficiency in outbred male and female mice resulted in reduced body weight, femur length and areal BMD at most ages. Serum IGF-I levels showed a high level of positive correlation with body weight and skeletal morphometry. These studies show that IGF-I is a determinant of bone size and mass in postnatal life. We speculate that impaired osteoblast proliferation may contribute to the skeletal phenotype of mice with IGF-I haploinsufficiency.

Animals↗

Effects of GH and/or sex steroids on circulating IGF-I and IGFBPs in healthy, aged women and men.

Circulating GH, IGF-I, IGFBP-3, and sex steroid concentrations decrease with age. GH or sex steroid treatment increases IGFBP-3, but little is known regarding the effects of these hormones on other IGFBPs. We assessed the effects of 26 wk of administration of GH, sex steroids, or GH + sex steroids on AM levels of IGF-I, IGFBPs 1-5, insulin, glucose, and osteocalcin and 2-h urinary excretion of deoxypyridinolline (DPD) cross-links in 53 women and 71 men aged 65-88 yr. Before treatment, in women and men, IGF-I was directly related to IGFBP-3 (P < 0.001 and P < 0.0001) and IGFBP-1 to IGFBP-2 (P = 0.0001). In women, IGFBP-1 was inversely related to insulin (P < 0.0005) and glucose (P < 0.005) and IGFBP-4 to osteocalcin (P < 0.01). IGFBP-4 and IGFBP-5 were not significantly related to DPD cross-links. GH and/or sex steroid increased IGF-I levels in both sexes, with higher concentrations in men (P < 0.001). In women, the IGF-I increment after GH was attenuated by hormone replacement therapy (HRT) coadministration (P < 0.05). Hormone administration also increased IGFBP-3. IGFBP-1 was unaffected by GH + sex steroids, whereas GH decreased IGFBP-2 by 15% in men (P < 0.05). Hormone administration did not change IGFBP-4, whereas in men IGFBP-5 increased by 20% after GH (P < 0.05) and 56% after GH + testosterone (P = 0.0003). These data demonstrate sexually dimorphic IGFBP responses to GH. Additionally, HRT attenuated or prevented GH-mediated increases in IGF-I and IGFBP-3. Whether GH and/or sex steroid administration alters local tissue production of IGFBPs and whether the latter influence autocrine or paracrine actions of IGF-I remain to be determined.

Aged↗

Mechanisms of disease: is osteoporosis the obesity of bone?

Osteoporosis and obesity, two disorders of body composition, are growing in prevalence. Interestingly, these diseases share several features including a genetic predisposition and a common progenitor cell. With aging, the composition of bone marrow shifts to favor the presence of adipocytes, osteoclast activity increases, and osteoblast function declines, resulting in osteoporosis. Secondary causes of osteoporosis, including diabetes mellitus, glucocorticoids and immobility, are associated with bone-marrow adiposity. In this review, we ask a provocative question: does fat infiltration in the bone marrow cause low bone mass or is it a result of bone loss? Unraveling the interface between bone and fat at a molecular and cellular level is likely to lead to a better understanding of several diseases, and to the development of drugs for both osteoporosis and obesity.

Adipocytes↗

Safety and efficacy of teriparatide in elderly women with established osteoporosis: bone anabolic therapy from a geriatric perspective.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the safety and efficacy of teriparatide in patients aged 75 and older and compare these findings with those of women younger than 75 using data from the Fracture Prevention Trial (FPT). DESIGN: The FPT was a randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. SETTING: The FPT multicenter international study. PARTICIPANTS: Postmenopausal women aged 42 to 86 were randomized to placebo (N=544) or teriparatide 20 mug (N=541) by daily self-injection for a median of 19 months. Patients received daily oral supplements of 1,000 mg calcium and 400 to 1,200 IU vitamin D. For this analysis, subgroups were defined according to patient age younger than 75 (N=841) and 75 and older (N=244). MEASUREMENTS: The effects of teriparatide on bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine and femoral neck; the incidence of new vertebral and new nonvertebral fragility fractures; bone turnover markers, including bone-specific alkaline phosphatase; and urinary deoxypyridinoline corrected for creatinine clearance, as well as the safety of teriparatide, were investigated. RESULTS: There were no significant treatment-by-age interactions for the bone turnover markers, femoral neck BMD, vertebral fractures, nonvertebral fragility fractures, height loss, hyperuricemia, or hypercalcemia. A significant treatment-by-age interaction for lumbar spine BMD (P=.08) was due to an increase in BMD observed in the placebo group aged 75 and older. There were no treatment-by-age interactions for important treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), including back pain, nausea, leg cramps, and dizziness. The most important TEAEs in women aged 80 and older (23 patients from the placebo group and 25 patients from the teriparatide group) were also reviewed; no unexpected TEAEs were found in the patients treated with teriparatide. These results indicate that the clinical effects of teriparatide were consistent in the older and younger women. CONCLUSION: Age does not affect the safety and efficacy of teriparatide in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

Age Factors↗

The ternary IGF complex influences postnatal bone acquisition and the skeletal response to intermittent parathyroid hormone.

The role of circulating IGF-I in skeletal acquisition and the anabolic response to PTH is not well understood. We generated IGF-I-deficient mice by gene deletions of IGF ternary complex components including: (1) liver-specific deletion of the IGF-I gene (LID), (2) global deletion of the acid-labile (ALS) gene (ALSKO), and (3) both liver IGF-I and ALS inactivated genes (LA). Twelve-week-old male control (CTL), LID, ALSKO, and LA mice were treated with vehicle (VEH) or human PTH(1-34) for 4 weeks. VEH-treated IGF-I-deficient mice (i.e. LID, ALSKO and LA mice) exhibited reduced cortical cross-sectional area (P = 0.001) compared with CTL mice; in contrast, femoral trabecular bone volume fractions (BV/TV) of the IGF-I-deficient mice were consistently greater than CTL (P < 0.01). ALSKO mice exhibited markedly reduced osteoblast number and surface (P < 0.05), as well as mineral apposition rate compared with other IGF-I-deficient and CTL mice. Adherent bone marrow stromal cells, cultured in beta-glycerol phosphate and ascorbic acid, showed no strain differences in secreted IGF-I. In response to PTH, there were both compartment- and strain-specific effects. Cortical bone area was increased by PTH in CTL and ALSKO mice, but not in LID or LA mice. In the trabecular compartment, PTH increased femoral and vertebral BV/TV in LID, but not in ALSKO or LA mice. In conclusion, we demonstrated that the presentation of IGF-I as a circulating complex is essential for skeletal remodeling and the anabolic response to PTH. We postulate that the ternary complex itself, rather than IGF-I alone, influences bone acquisition in a compartment-specific manner (i.e. cortical vs trabecular bone).

Animals↗

Adherence to bisphosphonate therapy and fracture rates in osteoporotic women: relationship to vertebral and nonvertebral fractures from 2 US claims databases.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the relationships between adherence (complance and persistence) to bisphosphonate therapy and risk of specific fracture types in postmenopausal women. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data were collected from 45 employers and 100 health plans in the continental United States from 2 claims databases during a 5-year period (January 1, 1999, through December 31, 2003). Claims from patients receiving a bisphosphonate prescription (alendronate or risedronate) were evaluated for 6 months before the Index prescription and during 24 months of follow-up to determine total, vertebral, and nonvertebral osteoporotic fractures, persistence (no gap in refills for >30 days during 24 months), and refill compliance (medication possession ratio > or = 0.80). RESULTS: The eligible cohort included 35,537 women (age, > or = 45 years) who received a bisphosphonate prescription. A subgroup with a specified diagnosis of postmenopausal osteoporosis was also evaluated. Forty-three percent were refill compliant, and 20% persisted with bisphosphonate therapy during the 24-month study period. Total, vertebral, nonvertebral, and hip fractures were significantly lower in refill-compliant and persistent patients, with relative risk reductions of 20% to 45%. The relationship between adherence and fracture risk remained significant after adjustment for baseline age, concomitant medications, and fracture history. There was a progressive relationship between refill compliance and fracture risk reduction, commencing at refill compliance rates of approximately 50% and becoming more pronounced at compliance rates of 75% and higher. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to bisphosphonate therapy was associated with significantly fewer fractures at 24 months. Increasing refill compliance levels were associated with progressively lower fracture rates. These findings suggest that incremental changes in medication-taking habits could improve clinical outcomes of osteoporosis treatment.

Aged↗

Chromosomal inversion discovered in C3H/HeJ mice.

Mice of the inbred mouse strain C3H/HeJ have been shown to be homozygous for a chromosomal inversion on Chromosome (Chr) 6. The inversion encompasses about 20% of the chromosome from approximately 73 Mb to approximately 116 Mb. The importance of this finding is that linkage crosses using C3H/HeJ will show no recombination in this region of Chr 6. The inversion has no apparent effect on the phenotype of C3H/HeJ mice and its presence should not affect biological studies; however, use of C3H/HeJ mice for genetic analysis of Chr 6 should be avoided or the results interpreted with the inversion in mind. The inversion has been named In(6)1J (inversion Chr 6, Jackson 1).

Animals↗

Nuclear receptor coactivator-3 alleles are associated with serum bioavailable testosterone, insulin-like growth factor-1, and vertebral bone mass in men.

CONTEXT: Nuclear receptor coactivator-3 (NCOA3) is a member of the steroid receptor coactivator family that interacts with nuclear hormone receptors to enhance their transcriptional activation function and may play a role in somatic growth. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between the CAG/CAA (glutamine) length variation at the NCOA3 locus, sex steroid hormone, and IGF-I levels and bone mineral density (BMD) in a cohort of older Caucasian men. DESIGN AND METHODS: We analyzed the association between potentially functional alleles at this locus, serum sex steroid hormone, and IGF-I levels and lumbar spine and proximal femur BMD (Hologic QDR) in 263 community-dwelling Caucasian men (age 66 +/- 7 yr, mean +/- sd; range 51-84 yr). Men were genotyped for a CAG/CAA repeat polymorphism in NCOA3, which encodes a polyglutamine tract of variable length in the C-terminal transcriptional activation domain of the protein. RESULTS: We found a significant monotonic decrease in lumbar spine, but not hip, BMD with increasing copies of the most common allele (29 repeats, 53%). For example, men with the 29/29 genotype had 6% or nearly 0.5 sd lower spine BMD than men without this genotype, and NCOA3 genotype explained 3.2% of the phenotypic variation in this trait. Serum levels of bioavailable testosterone and IGF-I paralleled genotype-related differences in lumbar spine BMD. CONCLUSION: Allelic variation at the NCOA3 locus may contribute to the genetic control of androgenic hormone and IGF levels and vertebral bone mass among older men.

Acetyltransferases↗

The insulin-like growth factor-I gene and osteoporosis: a critical appraisal.

Osteoporosis, a disorder of skeletal fragility, is common in the elderly, and its prevalence is increasing as more individuals with low bone mineral density (BMD), the strongest predictor of fracture risk, are detected. Previous basic and clinical studies imply there is a significant role for insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in determining BMD. Recently, polymorphisms upstream of the P1 promoter region of the human IGF-I gene have been found to be associated with serum levels of IGF-I, BMD and fracture risk in various ethnic groups. Multiple quantitative trait loci (QTLs) have been identified that underlie serum IGF-I in a mouse intercross between two inbred strains. The most promising QTL on mouse chromosome 6 has provided clues for unraveling the molecular mechanisms that regulate osteoblast differentiation. Genomic engineering resulting in IGF-I deficient mice, and mice with targeted over-expression of IGF-I reinforce the essential role of IGF-I in bone development at both the embryonic and postnatal stages. Thus, it is apparent that significant new insights into the role of the IGF-I gene in bone remodeling occur through several distinct mechanisms: (1) the skeletal IGF regulatory system; (2) the systemic growth hormone/IGF-I axis; (3) parathyroid hormone signaling; (4) sex steroids; and (5) the OPG/RANKL/RANK cytokine system. Molecular dissection of the IGF regulatory system and its signaling pathway in bone may reveal novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Animals↗

Quantitative trait loci that determine BMD in C57BL/6J and 129S1/SvImJ inbred mice.

UNLABELLED: BMD is highly heritable; however, little is known about the genes. To identify loci controlling BMD, we conducted a QTL analysis in a (B6 x 129) F2 population of mice. We report on additional QTLs and also narrow one QTL by combining the data from multiple crosses and through haplotype analysis. INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have identified quantitative trait loci (QTL) that determine BMD in mice; however, identification of genes underlying QTLs is impeded by the large size of QTL regions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To identify loci controlling BMD, we performed a QTL analysis of 291 (B6 x 129) F2 females. Total body and vertebral areal BMD (aBMD) were determined by peripheral DXA when mice were 20 weeks old and had consumed a high-fat diet for 14 weeks. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Two QTLs were common for both total body and vertebral aBMD: Bmd20 on chromosome (Chr) 6 (total aBMD; peak cM 26, logarithm of odds [LOD] 3.8, and vertebral aBMD; cM 32, LOD 3.6) and Bmd22 on Chr 1 (total aBMD; cM 104, LOD 2.5, and vertebral aBMD; cM 98, LOD 2.6). A QTL on Chr 10 (Bmd21, cM 68, LOD 3.0) affected total body aBMD and a QTL on Chr 7 (Bmd9, cM 44, LOD 2.7) affected vertebral aBMD. A pairwise genome-wide search did not reveal significant gene-gene interactions. Collectively, the QTLs accounted for 21.6% of total aBMD and 17.3% of vertebral aBMD of the F(2) population variances. Bmd9 was previously identified in a cross between C57BL/6J and C3H/HeJ mice, and we narrowed this QTL from 34 to 22 cM by combining the data from these crosses. By examining the Bmd9 region for conservation of ancestral alleles among the low allele strains (129S1/SvImJ and C3H/HeJ) that differed from the high allele strain (C57BL/6J), we further narrowed the region to approximately 9.9 cM, where the low allele strains share a common haplotype. Identifying the genes for these QTLs will enhance our understanding of skeletal biology.

Animals↗