Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Dietary Protein And Skeletal Health: A Review Of Recent Human Research, Jane E. Kerstette, Anne M. Kenny

UCHC Articles - Research

Purpose of review

Both dietary calcium and vitamin D are undoubtedly beneficial to skeletal health. In contrast, despite intense investigation, the impact of dietary protein on calcium metabolism and bone balance remains controversial. A widely held view is that high intakes of animal protein result in increased bone resorption, reduced bone mineral density, and increased fractures because of its ability to generate a high fixed metabolic acid load. The purpose of this review is to present the recent or most important epidemiological and clinical trials in humans that evaluated dietary protein’s impact on skeletal health.

Recent findings

Many epidemiological studies …

Characterization Of Stem And Progenitor Cells In The Dental Pulp Of Erupted And Unerupted Murine Molars, Anamaria Balic, Hector L. Aguila, Melissa J. Caimano, Victor P. Francone, Mina Mina

UCHC Articles - Research

In the past few years there have been significant advances in the identification of putative stem cells also referred to as “mesenchymal stem cells” (MSC) in dental tissues including the dental pulp. It is thought that MSC in dental pulp share certain similarities with MSC isolated from other tissues. However, cells in dental pulp are still poorly characterized. This study focused on the characterization of progenitor and stem cells in dental pulps of erupted and unerupted mice molars. Our study showed that dental pulps from unerupted molars contain a significant number of cells expressing CD90+/CD45-, CD117+/CD45-, Sca-1+/CD45- and little if …

Neuropeptide Y Is Expressed By Osteocytes And Can Inhibit Osteoblastic Activity, John C. Igwe, Xi Jiang, Frane Paic, Li Ma, Douglas J. Adams, Carol C. Pilbeam, Ivo Kalajzic

UCHC Articles - Research

Osteocytes are the most abundant osteoblast lineage cells within the bone matrix. They respond to mechanical stimulation and can participate in the release of regulatory proteins that can modulate the activity of other bone cells. We hypothesize that neuropeptide Y (NPY), a neurotransmitter with regulatory functions in bone formation, is produced by osteocytes and can affect osteoblast activity. To study the expression of NPY by the osteoblast lineage cells, we utilized transgenic mouse models in which we can identify and isolate populations of osteoblasts and osteocytes. The Col2.3GFP transgene is active in osteoblasts and osteocytes, while the DMP1 promoter drives …

Osteopenia In Transgenic Mice With Osteoblast-Targeted Expression Of The Inducible Camp Early Repressor, Taranpreet K. Chandhoke, Yu-Feng Huang, Fei Liu, Gloria A. Gronowicz, Douglas J. Adams, John R. Harrison, Barbara E. Kream

UCHC Articles - Research

ICER is a member of the CREM family of basic leucine zipper transcription factors that acts as a dominant negative regulator of gene transcription. Four different isoforms of ICER (I, Iγ, II and IIγ) are transcribed from the P2 promoter of the Crem gene. We previously found that each of the ICER isoforms is induced by parathyroid hormone in osteoblasts. The goal of the present study was to assess the function of ICER in bone by overexpressing ICER in osteoblasts of transgenic mice. ICER I and ICER II cDNAs, each containing an N-terminal FLAG epitope tag, were cloned downstream of …

Expression And Function Of Dlx Genes In The Osteoblast Lineage, Haitao Li, Inga Marijanovic, Mark S. Kronenberg, Ivana Erceg, Mary Louise Stover, Dimitrios Velonis, Mina Mina, William B. Upholt, Ivo Kalajzic, Alexander C. Lichtler

UCHC Articles - Research

Our laboratory and others have shown that overexpression of Dlx5 stimulates osteoblast differentiation. Dlx5^−/−/Dlx6^−/− mice have more severe craniofacial and limb defects than Dlx5^−/−, some of which are potentially due to defects in osteoblast maturation. We wished to investigate the degree to which other Dlx genes compensate for the lack of Dlx5, thus allowing normal development of the majority of skeletal elements in Dlx5^−/− mice. Dlx gene expression in cells from different stages of the osteoblast lineage isolated by FACS sorting showed that Dlx2, Dlx5 and Dlx6 are expressed most strongly in less mature …

The Use Of 18f-Fluoride And 18f-Fdg Pet Scans To Assess Fracture Healing In A Rat Femur Model, Jay R. Lieberman

UCHC Articles - Research

Currently available diagnostic techniques can be unreliable in the diagnosis of
delayed fracture healing in certain clinical situations, which can lead to increased complication rates and costs to the health care system. This study sought to determine the utility of positron emission tomography (PET) scanning with 18F-fluoride ion, which localizes in regions of high osteoblastic activity, and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), an indicator of cellular glucose metabolism, in assessing bone healing in a rat femur fracture model.