Bone Recovery After Weaning in Mice
Author Information
Author(s): Kirby Beth J, Ardeshirpour Laleh, Woodrow Janine P, Wysolmerski John J, Sims Natalie A, Karaplis Andrew C, Kovacs Christopher S
Primary Institution: Memorial University of Newfoundland
Hypothesis
PTHrP is upregulated in bone during postweaning to stimulate bone formation and skeletal recovery.
Conclusion
PTHrP is not required for the skeleton to recover from bone loss after lactation.
Supporting Evidence
- PTHrP mRNA expression increased fivefold by day 7 after weaning.
- Both wild-type and knockout mice lost similar amounts of bone during lactation.
- Both genotypes fully restored bone mineral content after weaning.
Takeaway
Mice lose some bone during lactation but can fully recover after weaning, and they don't need a specific protein called PTHrP to do it.
Methodology
The study involved comparing bone mineral content and other parameters in wild-type and PTHrP knockout mice during pregnancy, lactation, and postweaning recovery.
Limitations
The study was conducted in a specific mouse strain, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
Mice of the C57BL/6 strain were used in the study.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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